Incidence of Influenza-like Illness, Measured by a General Practitioner Sentinel System, Is Associated with Day-to-day Variations in Respiratory Health in Panel Studies

• Published in: American journal of epidemiology 2000-08, Vol.152 (4), p.389-392
• Main Authors: van der Zee, Saskia C., Hoek, Gerard, Brunekreef, Bert
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Confounding Factors (Epidemiology); Female; General aspects; Health Status; Human viral diseases; Humans; ILI; Incidence; Infectious diseases; influenza; influenza and influenza-like illness; Influenza, Human - diagnosis; Influenza, Human - epidemiology; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Physicians, Family; Planification. Prevention (methods). Intervention. Evaluation; Population Surveillance; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; respiration; Respiratory Function Tests; Respiratory Tract Infections - diagnosis; Respiratory Tract Infections - epidemiology; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the respiratory system and ent viral diseases; viruses
• ISSN: 0002-9262; 1476-6256; 0002-9262
• DOI: 10.1093/aje/152.4.389

During three consecutive winters beginning in 1992–1993, the association between the incidence of influenza and influenza-like illness (ILI), measured by a general practitioner sentinel system, and respiratory health was investigated in an air pollution panel study. Data from 22 panels of children (7–11 years old) and adults (50–70 years old) in the Netherlands were used. ILI incidence was associated with peak expiratory flow, respiratory symptoms, and bronchodilator use. Peak ILI incidence of 122 cases/10,000 subjects was associated with a decrement in peak expiratory flow of 6% and a 3- to 4.5-fold increase in symptom reporting and bronchodilator use. In panel studies, ILI incidence might be used to adjust for confounding by acute respiratory infections. Am J Epidemiol 2000;152:389–92.