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. 2022 Dec 12;25:100558. doi: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2022.100558

Table 3.

Univariable and multivariable meta-regression analyses for HSV-2 seroprevalence in Europe, using the year of data collection as the temporal variable instead of the year of publication.

Outcome measures Sample size Univariable analysis
 Multivariable analysisa
Model 1b: Time as a categorical variable model
 Model 2c: Time as a linear variable model
Total n Total N RR (95% CI) p-value LR test p-valued Adjusted R2 (%) ARR (95% CI) p-value ARR (95% CI) p-value
Population characteristics Population type General populations 626 154,957 1.00 - <0.001 27.72 1.00 - 1.00 -
Intermediate-risk populationse 12 3119 0.93 (0.61–1.44) 0.751 1.06 (0.71–1.59) 0.768 1.06 (0.71–1.60) 0.776
FSWs 16 2047 5.13 (3.58–7.33) <0.001 4.20 (3.01–5.86) <0.001 4.55 (3.25–6.36) <0.001
MSM 12 7011 1.99 (1.32–3.00) <0.001 2.66 (1.80–3.93) <0.001 2.52 (1.70–3.73) <0.001
STI clinic attendees and symptomatic populationsf 74 19,487 2.07 (1.73–2.47) 0.001 1.92 (1.61–2.29) <0.001 1.90 (1.59–2.27) <0.001
People living with HIV and people in HIV discordant couples 35 3660 3.69 (2.88–4.72) <0.001 3.41 (2.68–4.33) <0.001 3.37 (2.65–4.30) <0.001
Infertility clinic attendees and women with ectopic pregnancies 7 766 0.96 (0.53–1.72) 0.884 0.93 (0.53–1.61) 0.791 0.99 (0.57–1.73) 0.972
Other populations 31 27,929 1.70 (1.30–2.22) <0.001 1.71 (1.32–2.22) <0.001 1.49 (1.16–1.92) 0.002
Age group <20 years 48 7799 1.00 - <0.001 8.41 1.00 - 1.00 -
20–29 years 117 28,019 1.77 (1.29–2.41) <0.001 1.80 (1.38–2.34) <0.001 1.78 (1.37–2.32) <0.001
30–39 years 98 19,576 2.55 (1.85–3.51) <0.001 2.70 (2.06–3.54) <0.001 2.67 (2.03-3.51) <0.001
40–49 years 35 13,743 2.35 (1.59–3.46) <0.001 2.79 (2.01–3.89) <0.001 2.76 (1.98–3.84) <0.001
50–59 years 19 3814 2.14 (1.35–3.39) 0.001 2.58 (1.75–3.81) <0.001 2.66 (1.80–3.93) <0.001
≥60 years 22 9220 2.57 (1.63–4.03) <0.001 2.60 (1.76–3.83) <0.001 2.62 (1.77–3.87) <0.001
Mixed 474 136,805 2.73 (2.06–3.61) <0.001 2.01 (1.57–2.57) <0.001 2.05 (1.60–2.62) <0.001
Sex Women 437 100,759 1.00 - <0.001 6.10 1.00 - 1.00 -
Men 238 55,096 0.69 (0.60–0.79) <0.001 0.65 (0.57–0.73) <0.001 0.65 (0.58–0.74) <0.001
Mixed 138 63,121 1.26 (1.07–1.49) 0.005 0.98 (0.84–1.14) 0.777 0.98 (0.84–1.14) 0.798
European subregion Eastern Europe 101 17,863 1.00 - <0.001 3.19 1.00 - 1.00 -
Southern Europe 164 31,963 1.52 (1.22–1.89) <0.001 1.22 (1.01-1.48) 0.039 1.18 (0.98–1.43) 0.086
Western Europe 225 85,317 1.68 (1.37–2.07) <0.001 1.37 (1.14–1.63) 0.001 1.33 (1.12–1.59) 0.002
Northern Europe 233 67,636 1.51 (1.23–1.85) <0.001 1.23 (1.03–1.48) 0.023 1.16 (0.96–1.39) 0.121
Mixed regions 90 16,197 1.26 (0.98–1.62) 0.076 0.91 (0.74–1.13) 0.400 0.90 (0.73–1.12) 0.344
Country's income UMIC 87 15,429 1.00 - 0.326 0.03 - - - -
HIC 721 202,919 1.03 (0.84–1.26) 0.769 - - - -
Mixed 5 628 1.80 (0.84–3.89) 0.132 - - - -
Study methodology characteristics Assay type Western Blot 80 23,545 1.00 - 0.541 0.00 - - - -
ELISA 725 190,632 0.99 (0.80–1.24) 0.940 - - - -
Monoclonal antibody 8 4799 1.39 (0.74–2.60) 0.306 - - - -
Sample sizeg <200 106 6947 1.00 - 0.013 1.24 1.00 - 1.00 -
≥200 707 212,029 0.78 (0.65–0.95) 0.013 1.00 (0.85–1.18) 0.979 0.98 (0.83–1.16) 0.854
Sampling method Probability-based 210 62,803 1.00 - <0.001 3.04 1.00 - 1.00 -
Non-probability-based 603 156,173 1.31 (1.15–1.51) <0.001 1.25 (1.09–1.44) 0.001 1.20 (1.05–1.38) 0.008
Response rate ≥80% 41 13,331 1.00 - 0.009 1.09 1.00 - 1.00 -
<80% 102 28,738 1.06 (0.78–1.44) 0.716 1.01 (0.78–1.3) 0.944 1.02 (0.79–1.32) 0.869
Unclear 670 176,907 0.82 (0.62–1.07) 0.135 0.80 (0.64–1.00) 0.053 0.82 (0.65–1.02) 0.078
Temporal variables Year of data collection category <1995 226 61,250 1.00 - 0.268 0.09 1.00 - - -
1995–2005 465 111,095 1.07 (0.93–1.23) 0.362 1.12 (1.00–1.27) 0.056 - -
>2005 122 46,631 0.93 (0.76–1.13) 0.454 0.82 (0.69–0.97) 0.021 - -
Year of data collection 813 218,976 0.99 (0.99–1.00) 0.181 0.181 0.13 - - 0.99 (0.98–1.00) 0.013

Abbreviations: ARR = Adjusted risk ratio, CI = Confidence interval, ELISA = Enzyme-linked immunosorbent type-specific assay, FSWs = Female sex workers, HIC = High-income countries, HIV = Human immunodeficiency virus, HSV-2 = Herpes simplex virus type 2, LR = Likelihood ratio, MSM = Men who have sex with men, RR = Risk ratio, STI = Sexually transmitted infection, UMIC = Upper-middle-income countries.

a

Models 1 and 2 used only year of data collection as the temporal variable due to collinearity between year of publication and year of data collection. The same analyses using year of publication are presented in Table S8.

b

Variance explained by multivariable model 1 (adjusted R2) = 41.28%.

c

Variance explained by multivariable model 2 (adjusted R2) = 40.51%.

d

Factors in the univariable analyses with a p-value <0.1 were included in the multivariable analysis.

e

Intermediate-risk populations include populations who presumably have frequent sexual contacts with populations engaging in high sexual risk behaviour and have therefore a higher risk of exposure to HSV-2 than the general population. These comprise prisoners, people who inject drugs, and truck drivers, among others.

f

Symptomatic populations include patients with STI clinical manifestations.

g

Sample size denotes the sample size of each study population found in the original publication.