Skip to main content

Table 1 Descriptive statistics of the risk factors of developing health complaints after contact with floodwater

From: “Sickenin’ in the rain” – increased risk of gastrointestinal and respiratory infections after urban pluvial flooding in a population-based cross-sectional study in the Netherlands

Risk factors

Total number of participants N (%)

Total number of adults N (%)

Total number of children N (%)

Chronic diseases

 Chronic disorder or disease of the gastrointestinal tract

27 (2)

27 (3)

0 (0)

 Reflux

8 (1)

7 (1)

1 (1)

 Food allergy

23 (2)

18 (2)

5 (3)

 Pregnancy with vomiting

0 (0)

0 (0)

0 (0)

 Hay fever

140 (12)

124 (12)

16 (9)

 Lung anomalies

79 (7)

68 (7)

11 (6)

 No chronic diseases

881 (76)

738 (75)

143 (81)

Type of exposure

 Skin contact

527 (46)

457 (47)

70 (40)

 Droplets of floodwater in the mouth

19 (2)

15 (2)

4 (2)

 Gulp of floodwater in the mouth

139 (12)

113 (11)

26 (15)

 Head submerged in floodwater

5 (0)

4 (0)

1 (0)

 Not exposed

468 (40)

393 (40)

75 (43)

Type of activity

 Cleaning inside

320 (28)

311 (32)

9 (5)

 Cleaning outside

213 (18)

208 (21)

5 (3)

 Swum in floodwater

3 (0)

0 (0)

3 (2)

 Used rubber boat

7 (1)

4 (0)

3 (2)

 Walked through floodwater

198 (17)

158 (16)

40 (23)

 Cycled through floodwater

86 (7)

71 (7)

15 (8)

 Driven through floodwater by car

139 (12)

135 (14)

4 (2)

 No activities

192 (17)

95 (10)

97 (55)

Location of flooding

 Toilet overflow

250 (22)

209 (21)

41 (23)

 No toilet overflow

908 (78)

773 (79)

135 (77)

 Street flooding

779 (67)

650 (66)

129 (73)

 No street flooding

379 (33)

332 (34)

47 (27)