Table 1.
Characteristics of study participants in annual cross-sectional pneumococcal carriage surveys in Fiji, by age group and year
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | p value* | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5–8-week-old infants | ||||||
| Number of participants | 499 | 510 | 500 | 497 | .. | |
| Median age in weeks (IQR) | 6·3 (5·6–7·1) | 5·7 (5·3–5·9) | 6·3 (6·1–6·6) | 6·1 (5·6–6·6) | 0·450 | |
| Sex | ||||||
| Girls | 258 (52%) | 251 (49%) | 219 (44%) | 248 (50%) | 0·074 | |
| Boys | 241 (48%) | 259 (51%) | 281 (56%) | 249 (50%) | .. | |
| Ethnicity | ||||||
| iTaukei | 298 (60%) | 310 (61%) | 291 (58%) | 303 (61%) | 0·923 | |
| FID | 199 (40%) | 197 (39%) | 207 (41%) | 193 (39%) | .. | |
| Other | 2 (<1%) | 3 (1%) | 2 (<1%) | 1 (<1%) | .. | |
| Residential location | ||||||
| Rural | 244 (49%) | 259 (51%) | 251 (50%) | 281 (57%) | 0·052 | |
| Urban or peri-urban | 255 (51%) | 251 (49%) | 249 (50%) | 216 (43%) | .. | |
| Median number of children younger than 5 years in household (IQR) | 2 (1–2) | 1 (1–2) | 1 (1–2) | 2 (1–2) | 0·882 | |
| Exposure to household cigarette smoke | 203 (41%) | 267 (52%) | 265 (53%) | 276 (56%) | <0·0001 | |
| Symptoms of URTI | 55 (11%) | 37 (7%) | 108 (22%) | 111 (22%) | <0·0001 | |
| Antibiotic use in previous fortnight† | 12 (2%) | 9 (2%) (n=509) | 15 (3%) | 6 (1%) | 0·221 | |
| Poverty‡ | 308 (69%) (n = 447) | 222 (44%) | 186 (37%) | 278 (56%) | <0·0001 | |
| Born by vaginal delivery | 456 (91%) | 457 (90%) | 405 (81%) | 424 (85%) | <0·0001 | |
| Breastfeeding at time of survey | 468 (94%) (n=498) | 448 (88%) | 472 (94%) | 469 (94%) | <0·0001 | |
| 12–23-month-old children | ||||||
| Number of participants | 500 | 505 | 501 | 498 | .. | |
| Median age in months (IQR) | 16·6 (14·3–19·7) | 18·3 (14·9–21·0) | 17·2 (14·5–20·0) | 18·2 (15·1–21·5) | 0·0001 | |
| Sex | ||||||
| Girls | 239 (48%) | 231 (46%) | 201 (40%) | 230 (46%) | 0·079 | |
| Boys | 261 (52%) | 274 (54%) | 300 (60%) | 268 (54%) | .. | |
| Ethnicity | ||||||
| iTaukei | 300 (60%) | 302 (60%) | 291 (58%) | 301 (60%) | 0·134 | |
| FID | 197 (39%) | 203 (40%) | 210 (42%) | 197 (40%) | .. | |
| Other | 3 (1%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | .. | |
| Residential location | ||||||
| Rural | 243 (49%) | 255 (50%) | 251 (50%) | 201 (40%) | 0·0035 | |
| Urban or peri-urban | 257 (51%) | 250 (50%) | 250 (50%) | 297 (60%) | .. | |
| Median number of children younger than 5 years in household (IQR) | 2 (1–2) | 2 (1–2) | 1 (1–2) | 2 (1–3) | 0·0001 | |
| Exposure to household cigarette smoke | 262 (52%) | 284 (56%) | 303 (60%) | 247 (50%) | 0·0036 | |
| Symptoms of URTI | 165 (33%) | 175 (35%) | 224 (45%) | 183 (37%) | 0·0006 | |
| Previously vaccinated with PCV10 | 0 (0%) | 11 (2%) (n=504) | 474 (95%) | 498 (100%) | <0·0001 | |
| Antibiotic use in previous fortnight† | 53 (11%) | 30 (6%) (n=503) | 12 (2%) | 28 (6%) | <0·0001 | |
| Poverty‡ | 341 (77%) (n=441) | 307 (61%) | 253 (51%) (n=500) | 258 (52%) | <0·0001 | |
| Breastfeeding at time of survey | 187 (37%) | 86 (17%) | 237 (47%) | 141 (28%) | <0·0001 | |
| 2–6-year-old children | ||||||
| Number of participants | 518 | 516 | 505 | 513 | .. | |
| Median age in years (IQR) | 3·8 (2·8–5·2) | 3·8 (3·0–4·7) | 4·1 (3·1–5·0) | 4·1 (3·1–5·2) | 0·028 | |
| Sex | ||||||
| Girls | 250 (48%) | 234 (45%) | 253 (50%) | 266 (52%) | 0·190 | |
| Boys | 268 (52%) | 282 (55%) | 252 (50%) | 247 (48%) | .. | |
| Ethnicity | ||||||
| iTaukei | 313 (60%) | 305 (59%) | 298 (59%) | 303 (59%) | 0·636 | |
| FID | 197 (38%) | 208 (40%) | 203 (40%) | 207 (40%) | .. | |
| Other | 8 (2%) | 3 (1%) | 4 (1%) | 3 (1%) | .. | |
| Residential location | ||||||
| Rural | 260 (50%) | 260 (50%) | 249 (49%) | 243 (47%) | 0·759 | |
| Urban or peri-urban | 258 (50%) | 256 (50%) | 256 (51%) | 270 (53%) | .. | |
| Median number of children younger than 5 years in household (IQR) | 2 (1–2) | 2 (1–2) | 2 (1–2) | 2 (1–2) | 0·261 | |
| Exposure to household cigarette smoke | 308 (59%) | 296 (57%) | 251 (50%) | 274 (53%) | 0·0090 | |
| Symptoms of URTI | 203 (39%) | 155 (30%) | 141 (28%) | 157 (31%) | 0·0005 | |
| Previously vaccinated with PCV10 | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (<1%) | 116 (23%) | <0·0001 | |
| Antibiotic use in previous fortnight† | 61 (12%) | 27 (5%) (n=515) | 9 (2%) | 11 (2%) | <0·0001 | |
| Poverty‡ | 342 (78%) (n=437) | 354 (69%) | 295 (58%) | 266 (52%) | <0·0001 | |
| Caregivers | ||||||
| Number of participants | 508 | 511 | 516 | 512 | .. | |
| Median age in years (IQR) | 30·5 (25·2–38·6) | 32·0 (25·5–40·5) | 32·0 (25·6–39·3) | 32·1 (25·9–44·7) | 0·107 | |
| Sex | ||||||
| Women | 464 (91%) | 449 (88%) | 447 (87%) | 443 (87%) | 0·061 | |
| Men | 44 (9%) | 62 (12%) | 69 (13%) | 69 (13%) | ||
| Ethnicity | ||||||
| iTaukei | 310 (61%) | 309 (60%) | 296 (57%) | 305 (60%) | 0·330 | |
| FID | 196 (39%) | 202 (40%) | 215 (42%) | 205 (40%) | .. | |
| Other | 2 (<1%) | 0 (0%) | 5 (1%) | 2 (<1%) | .. | |
| Residential location | ||||||
| Rural | 239 (47%) | 257 (50%) | 216 (42%) | 243 (47%) | 0·054 | |
| Urban or peri-urban | 269 (53%) | 254 (50%) | 300 (58%) | 269 (53%) | .. | |
| Median number of children younger than 5 years in household (IQR) | 1 (1–2) | 1 (1–2) | 1 (1–2) (n=513) | 1 (1–2) | 0·545 | |
| Exposure to household cigarette smoke | 276 (54%) | 276 (54%) | 269 (52%) | 296 (58%) | 0·323 | |
| Symptoms of URTI | 106 (21%) | 82 (16%) | 84 (16%) | 106 (21%) | 0·064 | |
| Antibiotic use in previous fortnight† | 38 (7%) | 19 (4%) | 11 (2%) | 16 (3%) | 0·0001 | |
| Poverty‡ | 306 (71%) (n=433) | 345 (68%) | 280 (55%) (n=510) | 258 (50%) | <0·0001 | |
Data are n (%), unless otherwise specified. In 2012, there was some missing data for poverty, likely due to perceived sensitivity when asking about income; this was rectified by additional field training in subsequent surveys. FID=Fijians of Indian descent. URTI=upper respiratory tract infection (includes any of the following: ear discharge, runny nose, and cough at time of survey). PCV10=received two or three doses of ten-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine before the survey; no 5–8-week-old infants or caregivers received this vaccine.
*
p values compare across years using chi-squared test for categorical data and Kruskal-Wallis test for continuous data.
†
As reported by parent or guardian.
‡
Poverty defined as weekly family income below the basic needs poverty line (<FJ$175 per week).26