Skip Navigation


The European Journal of Public Health Advance Access originally published online on April 18, 2007
The European Journal of Public Health 2007 17(6):560-564; doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckm034
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
17/6/560    most recent
ckm034v1
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Dominguez, A.
Right arrow Articles by Salleras, L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Dominguez, A.
Right arrow Articles by Salleras, L.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Migrant Health

Rubella immune status of indigenous and immigrant pregnant women in Catalonia, Spain

Angela Dominguez1,3, Pere Plans1, Jordi Espuñes1, Josep Costa2, Nuria Torner1, Neus Cardeñosa1, Antoni Plasencia1 and Lluís Salleras3

1 Directorate of Public Health, Generalitat of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain
2 Department of Microbiology. Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
3 Department of Public Health. University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Correspondence: Angela Dominguez, Directorate of Public Health, Department of Health, Generalitat of Catalonia, Travessera de les Corts 131–159, 08029 Barcelona, Spain, tel: 34 93 227 2951, e-mail: angela.dominguez{at}gencat.net

Received October 19, 2005 , accepted March 19, 2007

Background: The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of rubella antibodies in representative samples of pregnant women in Catalonia. Methods: A representative sample of pregnant women in Catalonia was obtained by random sampling by clusters (hospitals with maternity units) stratified by provinces. Blood was obtained from the umbilical cord at childbirth in 1538 women (of whom 308 were immigrants) and was tested for rubella antibodies by ELISA (Enzime-linked immunosorbent assay). Results: The global prevalence of antibodies was 93.4% [95% confidence interval (CI): 93.3–93.5] and was significantly higher in indigenous women (94.9;95%CI:93.3–95.9) compared with immigrants [89.0; 95%CI: 85.5–92.5 (P < 0. 0001)] with crude Odds ratio (OR) of 2.15 (95%CI: 1.40–3.32).The prevalence was higher in women living in rural habitats (97%) and those in higher social classes (96.3%); OR 2.54 (95%CI: 1.22–5.30) and 2.17 (95%CI: 1.24–3.81), respectively. Conclusion: Fertile female immigrants from countries with no vaccination or where vaccination coverage is low should be actively approached for vaccination to reduce the risk of infection and congenital rubella.

Keywords: immigrant, pregnant women, rubella, vaccination


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.