Previous work has established that there is an apparent lower incidence of reported Campylobacter infections in deprived populations. However this is not observed in hospitalised cases. This project investigates the origin of these differences between deprived and prosperous populations in four ways. First, investigating potential biases at three different levels of the reporting pyramid: the community level, the GP level and the reported case level. Second analysing retrospective and prospective case and hospitalisation discharge data to determine whether the reported variation in disease still occurs. Third, carrying out a case control study to identify the sources of human campylobacteriosis and fourth performing a case-case analysis to determine differences in risk factors for deprived and less deprived (affluent) populations. This work will provide the scientific evidence to inform FSA policy on dealing with Campylobacter risk in the Scottish population.
Objectives
Collect retrospective and prospective reported case data to identify if disease incidence and risk factors change by level of deprivation;
Collect retrospective and prospective hospital discharge data to identify if hospitalisation rates and risk factors change by level of deprivation;
Collect and analyse case-control and case-case data (to be acquired in least and most deprived case and control cohorts) to identify risk factors that are specific to deprivation groups;
Investigate potential reporting biases by level of deprivation;
Estimation of reporting biases at the community level
Estimation of reporting biases at the GP level
Estimation of reporting biases at the reported case level
Ethics
Approvals from the following bodies were obtained to conduct the current research study:
NRES Committees - North of Scotland –REC Reference -15/NS/0072
Public Benefit and Privacy Panel – Reference – 1516-0240
Key Partners
Epidemiology research team at NHS Tayside
NHS Boards: Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Grampian, Lanarkshire, Lothian, Fife, Forth Valley and Tayside
NHS Medical Microbiological Diagnosis Laboratories across Scotland
Contacts
Medical
Dr. Christopher McGuigan
Consultant in Public Health Medicine
NHS Fife
Cameron Hospital, Cameron Bridge
Leven, Fife, KY8 5RG
