Risk Factors for Acute Respiratory Infection in the Australian Community

Objectives: The objective of this study was to identify the risk factors for ARI in the Australian community. Methods: We used a national survey of 7578 randomly selected respondents in 2008-2009 to identify the risk factors of ARI. A case was defined as a person experiencing cold or flu with one or more symptoms of: fever, chills, sore throat, runny nose, or cough in the previous four weeks. Results: There were 19.8% (1505/7578) of respondents who reported ARI in the four weeks prior to the survey. Age was an independent risk factor for ARI, with the risk of acquiring ARI decreasing as age increased. Respondents reporting asthma (OR 1.4, 95% CI: 1.2-1.7) or having someone in their house attending childcare (OR 1.6, 95% CI: 1.2-2.1) were more likely to report ARI. Conclusions: It is important to identify ways of interrupting transmission of ARI amongst children. Improving identification of risk factors will enable targeted interventions for this exceedingly common syndrome.