Epidemic characteristics of public health emergencies in schools in Shanxi Province, 2010-2019
ZHANG Xia-hong1,2, LEI Li-jian1, ZUO Su-jun2, SANG Zhi-hong2, ZHANG Zheng2, REN Wen2
1. School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China; 2. Shanxi Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030012, China
Abstract:Objective To investigate the epidemic characteristics of school public health emergencies in Shanxi Province from 2010 to 2019, and to explore the targeted effective prevention and control measures. Methods Using cross-sectional study methods, we described the epidemic features of school public health emergencies reported in Shanxi Province from 2010 to 2019 and obtained through the National Public Health Emergency Reporting and Management Information System. The attack rates of public health emergencies among different schools were compared and analyzed. Results From 2010 to 2019, 243 school public health emergencies were reported in Shanxi Province, of which the unclassified incidents accounted for 72.02% (175/243). The main types of the incidents were infectious diseases, accounting for 88.89% of the total school public health emergencies (216/243), and the top three diseases were chicken pox, mumps and hand, foot and mouth disease. The peak incident reporting periods were March-June and October-December. The incidents mainly occurred in primary schools and kindergartens, accounting for 58.02% (141/243) and 20.99% (51/243) of the total school public health emergencies, respectively. The number of public health emergencies in urban schools was higher than that of similar schools in counties, towns and rural areas, but the attack rate in urban schools was lower than that of similar schools in counties, towns and rural areas (kindergartens χ2=50.216, P<0.001; primary schools χ2=420.184, P<0.001; junior middle schools χ2=279.929, P<0.001; senior middle schools χ2=47.532, P<0.001). Conclusion One month after the beginning of spring and autumn semesters was the epidemic peak of public health emergencies. It is necessary to strengthen infectious disease prevention and control in rural primary schools and kindergartens.