Volume 16, Number 10—October 2010
Research
Risk Factors for Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Virus Seroconversion among Hospital Staff, Singapore
Table 4
Comparison of risk factors among allied health staff, ward-based nurses, and non–ward-based nurses for exposures to pandemic (H1N1) 2009, mask use, and work-related contacts, Singapore, 2009*
Risk factor | 1: Allied health staff, n = 116 | 2: Non–ward-based nurses, n = 103 | 3: Ward-based nurses, n = 187 | p values† |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 vs. 1 | 3 vs. 1 | 3 vs. 2 | ||||
Seroconverted in study period, % | 2 (0–6) | 8 (4–15) | 11 (7–16) | 0.05 | <0.01 | 0.53 |
Mean age, y | 32 (30–33) | 34 (32–36) | 32 (31–34) | 0.14 | 0.81 | 0.21 |
Mean household size |
4.8 (4.4–5.1) |
4.8 (4.4–5.2) |
5.5 (5.1–5.8) |
0.96 |
<0.01 |
0.01 |
Household members with FRI in the following age groups, % | ||||||
0– 4 y | 3 (1–7) | 3 (1–8) | 2 (1–5) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.70 |
5–12 y | 2 (0–6) | 4 (2–10) | 1 (0–4) | 0.42 | 0.64 | 0.19 |
13–19 y |
1 (0–5) |
3 (1–8) |
2 (1–5) |
0.34 |
0.65 |
0.70 |
Masks for patient care all or almost all the time, % | 64 (53–74) | 71 (59–80) | 69 (61–77) | 0.48 | 0.54 | 0.87 |
Valid responses‡ |
76 |
69 |
130 |
|||
Received seasonal influenza vaccine, % |
84 (77–90) |
91 (84–95) |
96 (92–98) |
0.15 |
<0.01 |
0.19 |
Geometric mean no. colleagues in work area | 27 (24–31) | 48 (39–59) | 23 (20–25) | <0.01 | 0.05 | <0.01 |
Valid responses‡ |
101 |
89 |
147 |
|||
Geometric mean no. patient contacts per day | 15 (12–18) | 37 (26–52) | 19 (17–22) | <0.01 | 0.03 | <0.01 |
Valid responses‡ |
73 |
59 |
127 |
|||
Geometric mean no. visitor contacts per day | 12 (9–15) | 28 (21–38) | 15 (13–18) | <0.01 | 0.04 | <0.01 |
Valid responses‡ |
75 |
58 |
133 |
|||
Occupational-related exposures, % | ||||||
Direct patient contact | 84 (77–90) | 91 (84–95) | 99 (97–100) | 0.15 | <0.01 | <0.01 |
Contact with patients who had pandemic (H1N1) 2009 | 14 (9–21) | 19 (13–28) | 41 (34–48) | 0.28 | <0.01 | <0.01 |
Contact with colleague(s) who had pandemic (H1N1) 2009 | 2 (0–6) | 15 (9–23) | 14 (10–20) | <0.01 | <0.01 | 0.86 |
*Values in parentheses are 95% confidence intervals. FRI, febrile respiratory illness.
†p values by Fisher exact test for proportions and unpaired Student t test for means.
‡Based on participants who answered this questionnaire item; all other analyses are based on no. participants in that occupational subgroup.