Exploring the Birthday Week Effect on Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease in Yunnan Province, China, From 2008 to 2022: Surveillance Data Analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a notable infectious disease predominantly affecting infants and children worldwide. Previous studies on HFMD have primarily focused on natural patterns, such as seasonality, but research on the influence of important social time points is lacking. Several studies have indicated correlations between birthdays and certain disease outcomes.

Objective

This study aimed to explore the association between birthdays and HFMD.

Methods

Surveillance data on HFMD from 2008 to 2022 in Yunnan Province, China, were collected. We defined the period from 6 days before the birthday to the exact birthday as the "birthday week." The effect of the birthday week was measured by the proportion of cases occurring during this period, termed

SUBMITTER: Jiang P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11404391 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature