Risk Factors for Acute Rheumatic Fever: Literature Review and Protocol for a Case-Control Study in New Zealand.

ABSTRACT: Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and its sequela, rheumatic heart disease (RHD), have largely disappeared from high-income countries. However, in New Zealand (NZ), rates remain unacceptably high in indigenous Māori and Pacific populations. The goal of this study is to identify potentially modifiable risk factors for ARF to support effective disease prevention policies and programmes. A case-control design is used. Cases are those meeting the standard NZ case-definition for ARF, recruited within four weeks of hospitalisation for a first episode of ARF, aged less than 20 years, and residing in the North Island of NZ. This study aims to recruit at least 120 cases and 360 controls matched by age, ethnicity, gender, deprivation, district, and time period. For data collection, a comprehensive pre-tes

SUBMITTER: Baker MG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6888501 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature