Seroprevalence of six infectious diseases among adults in the United States by race/ethnicity: data from the third national health and nutrition examination survey, 1988--94.

Objective: To provide seroprevalence estimates for six selected infectious agents by various sociodemographic and risk behavior variables stratified by race/ethnicity for adults age 20 years or more.

Methods: Seroprevalence estimates for hepatitis A, B, and C, Toxoplasma gondii, Helicobacter pylori, and Herpes simplex-2 were calculated from data in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-94 utilizing weights to account for differential oversampling by race/ethnicity and nonresponse to the interview and examination. Standard errors and 95% confidence intervals were calculated taking into account the complex sample design.

Results: Age-adjusted prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals are presented for three enteric infectious diseases hepatitis A, Toxoplasma gondii, Helicobacter pylori, as well as three blood-borne/sexually transmitted diseases, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and Herpes simplex-2 stratified by race/ethnicity and by various demographic factors including gender, poverty index, population size of area of residence, country of birth, household crowding, and years of education. In addition, estimates are presented for the three blood-borne/sexually transmitted diseases by various risk behaviors that include marital status, age at first sexual intercourse, number of lifetime sexual partners, cocaine use, and marijuana use.