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Table 3 Main characteristics of 497 healthy children by Staphylococcus aureus carriage as assessed by means of oropharyngeal (OP) or nasal (NAS) swabs or both

From: Oropharyngeal and nasal Staphylococcus aureus carriage by healthy children

 

OP positive only (n = 69)

NAS positive only (n = 135)

OP and NAS positive (n = 60)

Age (years) b

   

<10

21 (30.4)

57 (42.2)

21 (35.0)

10-14

27 (39.1)

66 (48.9)

24 (40.0)

≥15

21 (30.4)

12 (8.9)

15 (25.0)

Sex b

   

Male

32 (46.4)

79 (58.5)

40 (66.7)

Female

37 (53.6)

56 (41.5)

20 (33.3)

Ethnicity a

   

Caucasian

61 (88.4)

109 (80.7)

49 (81.7)

Non-caucasian

8 (11.6)

26 (19.3)

11 (18.3)

No. of siblings a

   

0

15 (22.1)

34 (25.2)

17 (29.3)

1

42 (61.8)

71 (52.6)

30 (51.7)

2

9 (13.2)

21 (15.6)

8 (13.8)

≥3

2 (2.9)

9 (6.7)

3 (5.2)

Parental smoking habit a

   

Both non-smokers

55 (79.7)

108 (80.0)

44 (73.3)

At least one smoker

14 (20.3)

27 (20.0)

16 (26.7)

Gestational age (weeks) a

   

<37

2 (5.3)

16 (14.3)

4 (12.1)

≥37

36 (94.7)

96 (85.7)

29 (87.9)

Birth weight (g) a

   

<2,500

2 (5.4)

7 (6.1)

2 (5.9)

≥2,500

35 (94.6)

107 (93.9)

32 (94.1)

Exclusive breastfeeding a

   

No

12 (30.0)

33 (28.0)

9 (24.3)

Yes

28 (70.0)

85 (72.0)

28 (75.7)

Hospitalized for acute diseases in the last 3 months

   

No

65 (94.2)

131 (97.0)

58 (96.7)

Yes

4 (5.8)

4 (3.0)

2 (3.3)

Allergies a

   

No

38 (74.5)

97 (77.6)

31 (68.9)

Yes

13 (25.5)

28 (22.4)

14 (31.1)

Allergic sensitization a

   

No

38 (76.0)

101 (80.8)

33 (78.6)

Yes

12 (24.0)

24 (19.2)

9 (21.4)

Flu vaccination during current season a

   

No

36 (90.0)

115 (95.8)

34 (94.4)

Yes

4 (10.0)

5 (4.2)

2 (5.6)

Pneumococcal vaccination a

   

No

54 (79.4)

94 (69.6)

47 (79.7)

Yes

14 (20.6)

41 (30.4)

12 (20.3)

Meningococcal vaccination

   

No

45 (65.2)

83 (61.5)

40 (66.7)

Yes

24 (34.8)

52 (38.5)

20 (33.3)

  1. aThe sum does not add up to the total because of missing values.
  2. bThe frequency distribution was significantly different according to age between NAS positive and OP positive children (p < 0.001) and between NAS positive and OP and NAS positive children (p = 0.01), and according to sex between OP positive and OP and NAS positive children (p = 0.02). No other statistically significant differences emerged for any of the other characteristics considered.