title: Are School Absences Correlated with Influenza Surveillance Data in England? Results from Decipher My Data-A Research Project Conducted through Scientific Engagement with Schools.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  School aged children are a key link in the transmission of influenza. Most cases have little or no interaction with health services and are therefore missed by the majority of existing surveillance systems. As part of a public engagement with science project, this study aimed to establish a web-based system for the collection of routine school absence data and determine if school absence prevalence was correlated with established surveillance measures for circulating influenza.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collected data for two influenza seasons (2011/12 and 2012/13). The primary outcome was daily school absence prevalence (weighted to make it nationally representative) for children aged 11 to 16. School absence prevalence was triangulated graphically and through univariable linear regression to Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) influenza like illness (ILI) episode incidence rate, national microbiological surveillance data on the proportion of samples positive for influenza (A+B) and with Rhinovirus, RSV and laboratory confirmed cases of Norovirus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  27 schools submitted data over two respiratory seasons. During the first season, levels of influenza measured by school absence prevalence and established surveillance were low. In the 2012/13 season, a peak of school absence prevalence occurred in week 51, and week 1 in RCGP ILI surveillance data. Linear regression showed a strong association between the school absence prevalence and RCGP ILI (All ages, and 5-14 year olds), laboratory confirmed cases of influenza A & B, and weak evidence for a linear association with Rhinovirus and Norovirus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides initial evidence for using routine school illness absence prevalence as a novel tool for influenza surveillance. The network of web-based data collection platforms we established through active engagement provides an innovative model of conducting scientific research and could be used for a wide range of infectious disease studies in the future.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, 222 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DA, United Kingdom.|The Farr Institute of Health Informatics Research, University College London, 222 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Aldridge
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, 222 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DA, United Kingdom.|The Farr Institute of Health Informatics Research, University College London, 222 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Andrew C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Hayward
authors.affiliation: Research Department of Infection and Population Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Nigel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Field
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, 222 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DA, United Kingdom.|The Farr Institute of Health Informatics Research, University College London, 222 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Warren-Gash
authors.affiliation: Research Department of Infection and Population Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Colette
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control, Public Health England, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pebody
authors.affiliation: Pate's Grammar School, Cheltenham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Declan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.affiliation: Gallomanor Communications Ltd, Bath, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Shane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McCracken
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012574:Schools