Understanding Influenza susceptibility: An analysis of demographic, socioeconomic, and health factors using NHANES data
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Zitong Zheng
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Background: Influenza continued to be a significant global health concern in recent 2 years, leading to significant economic burdens and public health challenges globally. Thus, understanding the complex risk factors associated with influenza susceptibility is crucial for effective prevention and mitigation strategies.
Objects: Our study evaluated the association of several risk factors with infection related to influenza, including socioeconomic, demographic and medical conditions.
Method: We examined data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning 5 survey cycles, from 2005 to 2018, to provide a comprehensive assessment of influenza susceptibility factors. Both univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were utilized to analyze the relationships between influenza outcomes and various factors in the general population. In our model, we also conducted Chi-square test for independence to evaluate the interaction between explanatory variables.
Results: In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the risk of an influenza infection varies in different races: Compared to Hispanic, influenza susceptibility is significant within Non-Hispanic Black, Non-Hispanic Asian and multiracial groups (OR =1.96, 95% CI [1.5,2.55], P value <0.0001 for Non-Hispanic Black, OR = 1.43, 95% CI [1.11,1.84], P value = 0.0064 for Non-Hispanic Asian and multiracial). While Non-Hispanic White (OR = 1.34, 95% CI [0.92,1.97], P value = 0.134) shows no statistical significance associated with influenza. For medical conditions, individuals with Chronic Bronchitis or Asthma displayed higher probability of flu infection (OR = 1.34, 95% CI [1.01, 1.79], P value = 0.0483 for asthma, and OR = 1.77, 95% CI [1.14, 2.75], P value = .0137 for chronic bronchitis).
Conclusion: Ethnicity, respiratory diseases (Chronic Bronchitis and Asthma) were associated with higher odds of flu infection. We found no interaction between race and respiratory illness in their association with influenza. Targeted interventions addressing socioeconomic disparities and respiratory health are crucial for reducing the burden of influenza morbidity and mortality.
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Authors
Zitong Zheng
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References:
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