title: Risk factors for community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection in Hong Kong.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The risk factors for community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infection were not well understood. The objective of this study was to identify risk factors associated with CA-MRSA infection in Hong Kong.
  
  
  METHODS
  We carried out a matched case control study. Cases and controls were recruited from 14 acute public hospitals in Hong Kong. One control was individually matched to one case based on sex, age, admission date and ward location. We interviewed each case and control by telephone using a standard questionnaire. We used a conditional logistic regression model for multivariate analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We successfully recruited 127 pairs of matched case and control. We found that sharing of personal items with other persons had a higher risk of CA-MRSA infection (Adjusted matched odds ratio [aOR]: 4.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.43-15.59). On the other hand, patients who had frequent hand washing practice (aOR: 0.21, 95%CI 0.06-0.72) and those who reported history of acne (aOR: 0.12, 95%CI 0.02-0.74) had a lower risk of CA-MRSA infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We concluded that sharing of personal items with other persons is a risk factor for CA-MRSA infection while frequent hand washing is a protective factor against the infection.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Protection, Department of Health, Kowloon, Hong Kong. fansh@graduate.hku.hk
authors.forename: Yiu-hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Raymond Wai-man
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Allen Chi-wai
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Janice Yee-chi
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: Pak-leung
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Monica Man-ha
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Shuk-kwan
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.forename: Thomas Ho-fai
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Tsang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D005260:Female; D006235:Hand Disinfection; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult