Olowokure Babatunde, Clark Lilian, Elliot Alex J, Harding Douglas, Fleming Ann
Health Protection Agency, Regional Surveillance Unit (West Midlands), 9th Floor, Ladywood House, 45 Stephenson Street, Birmingham B2 4DY, UK.
J Epidemiol Community Health. 2007 May;61(5):385-8. doi: 10.1136/jech.2005.042598.
To determine the links between national newspaper coverage of mumps after a press release and increased reports of clinical mumps cases.
A cross sectional study involving people aged 15-24 years in the West Midlands, and England and Wales. Reported mumps cases were obtained from statutory notifications of infectious diseases to the Health Protection Agency and reports to the Royal College of General Practitioners Weekly Returns Service. Data on newspaper coverage was obtained by retrospectively reviewing the Health Protection Agency press archives.
The effect of newspaper coverage was assessed by examining the 4 weeks before the press release (weeks 15-18 of the year), a 2-week period that included the week of the press release (weeks 19-20) and 4 weeks after the press release (weeks 21-24).
Mumps notification rates were declining before increased newspaper coverage. Significant increases in national (from 28.3/100 000 population (95% CI 26.5 to 30.1) in weeks 18 to 42.8 (95% CI 40.6 to 45) in week 20) and local (from 9.8 (95% CI 7.4 to 12.1) to 21.2 (95% CI 17.7 to 24.6)) notification rates were seen after increased newspaper coverage. Reports rapidly declined after decreased media interest.
The reported incidence rate of mumps seems to be markedly influenced by the level of newspaper coverage. This has implications for surveillance activities.
确定新闻稿发布后全国报纸对腮腺炎的报道与临床腮腺炎病例报告增加之间的联系。
一项横断面研究，涉及西米德兰兹郡、英格兰和威尔士15 - 24岁的人群。报告的腮腺炎病例来自向健康保护局的法定传染病通报以及向皇家全科医师学院每周回报服务处的报告。报纸报道数据通过回顾性查阅健康保护局新闻档案获得。
通过检查新闻稿发布前4周（一年中的第15 - 18周）、包括新闻稿发布当周的2周期间（第19 - 20周）以及新闻稿发布后4周（第21 - 24周）来评估报纸报道的影响。
在报纸报道增加之前，腮腺炎通报率呈下降趋势。在报纸报道增加后，全国通报率（从第18周的每10万人口28.3例（95%可信区间26.5至30.1）增至第20周的42.8例（95%可信区间40.6至45））和地方通报率（从9.8例（95%可信区间7.4至12.1）增至21.2例（95%可信区间17.7至24.6））显著上升。在媒体关注度下降后，报告迅速减少。
腮腺炎的报告发病率似乎受到报纸报道水平的显著影响。这对监测活动有影响。
