Telephone Survey of Infectious Intestinal Disease in the Republic of Ireland
- Project start date: 26 September 2012
- Project status: Completed
- Project type: Food safety
- Discipline: Microbiology and food hygiene
- Principal researcher/s: Safefood research
Research objective
Through a telephone survey using random digit dialing (RDD), the study sought to capture data on symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting over two recall periods: 7 days and 28 days. By employing multiple case definitions, the research aimed to estimate the true burden of IID in the community, not just those reported to health services. The objectives included understanding the distribution and demographic factors associated with IID, comparing incidence rates between ROI and Northern Ireland, as well as with the UK, and evaluating the economic burden through absenteeism from daily activities. The findings were intended to inform public health initiatives and guide strategies to reduce IID incidence and healthcare usage.
Outputs
Research report
- Title: Telephone Survey of Infectious Intestinal Disease in the Republic of Ireland
- Publication date: 5 May 2013
- Summary: This report details a telephone survey commissioned by Safefood to estimate the self-reported incidence of infectious intestinal disease (IID) in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) using two recall periods: 7 days and 28 days.
- Findings:
1. Overall IID Incidence:
- For the 7-day recall group, the standardized rate was 1.1 cases per person-year.
- For the 28-day recall group, the standardized rate was 0.6 cases per person-year.
- Rates were highest among young children (<5 years) and lowest in those aged 65 and above.
2. Case definition comparison:
- The 7-day recall group showed similar rates across all case definitions (1.1, 1.3, 1.2, and 1.3 cases per person-year).
- The 28-day recall group showed slightly higher rates with standardization (0.6, 0.6, 0.8, and 0.6 cases per person-year).
3. Gender differences:
- IID rates among males were similar in both recall groups.
- Among females, the rate was four times higher in the 7-day recall group compared to the 28-day recall group.
4. Comparison with other regions:
- The IID rate in ROI was similar to Northern Ireland (NI) for the 7-day recall group.
- The 28-day recall rate was higher in NI compared to ROI, but this variation could be due to sampling.
- IID rates in Scotland and Wales were higher than in ROI, while rates in England and NI were more comparable to ROI.
5. Symptom severity and economic burden:
- Severity of illness was greater in the 28-day recall group, with 78% reporting absence from normal activities compared to 32% in the 7-day group.
- This highlights the substantial economic burden of IID in ROI.
- Recommendations:
1. Continued efforts are required to lower the IID rate, particularly among children under 5.
2. There should be ongoing commitment to providing clear guidance to consumers on managing IID symptoms.
3. Efforts should be made to establish a universally accepted case definition for IID.
The survey results underline the need for public health initiatives to reduce IID rates, improve consumer guidance, and develop consistent case definitions to better track and manage IID across populations.
You can download the report below.
