Prevalence of and factors associated with herpes zoster in England: a cross-sectional analysis of the Health Survey for England

Bibliographic Details
Title: Prevalence of and factors associated with herpes zoster in England: a cross-sectional analysis of the Health Survey for England
Authors: Sharon L. Cadogan, Jennifer S. Mindell, Judith Breuer, Andrew Hayward, Charlotte Warren-Gash
Source: BMC Infectious Diseases, Vol 22, Iss 1, Pp 1-9 (2022)
Publisher Information: BMC, 2022.
Publication Year: 2022
Collection: LCC:Infectious and parasitic diseases
Subject Terms: Herpes zoster, Shingles, Risk factor, Prevalence, Infectious and parasitic diseases, RC109-216
More Details: Abstract Background Herpes zoster (commonly called shingles) is caused by the reactivation of varicella zoster virus, and results in substantial morbidity. While the risk of zoster increases significantly with age and immunosuppression, relatively little is known about other risk factors for zoster. Moreover, much evidence to date stems from electronic healthcare or administrative data. Hence, the aim of this study was to explore potential risk factors for herpes zoster using survey data from a nationally-representative sample of the general community-dwelling population in England. Methods Data were extracted from the 2015 Health Survey for England, an annual cross-sectional representative survey of households in England. The lifetime prevalence of self-reported herpes zoster was described by age, gender and other socio-demographic factors, health behaviours (physical activity levels, body mass index, smoking status and alcohol consumption) and clinical conditions, including; diabetes, respiratory, digestive and genito-urinary system and mental health disorders. Logistic regression models were then used to identify possible factors associated with shingles, and results were presented as odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Results The lifetime prevalence of shingles among the sample was 11.5% (12.6% among women, 10.3% among men), which increased with age. After adjusting for a range of covariates, increased age, female gender (odds ratio: 1.21; 95%CI: 1.03, 1.43), White ethnic backgrounds (odds ratio: 2.00; 95%CI: 1.40, 2.88), moderate physical activity 7 days per week (odds ratio: 1.29; 95%CI: 1.01, 1.66) and digestive disorders (odds ratio: 1.51; 95%CI: 1.13, 1.51) were each associated with increased odds of having had herpes zoster. Conclusions Age, gender, ethnicity and digestive disorders may be risk factors for herpes zoster among a nationally representative sample of adults in England. These potential risk factors and possible mechanisms should be further explored using longitudinal studies.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 1471-2334
Relation: https://doaj.org/toc/1471-2334
DOI: 10.1186/s12879-022-07479-z
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/cf36529bd7e948c5b7cc073ffc0a5f1f
Accession Number: edsdoj.f36529bd7e948c5b7cc073ffc0a5f1f
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
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More Details
ISSN:14712334
DOI:10.1186/s12879-022-07479-z
Published in:BMC Infectious Diseases
Language:English