Risk Factors Associated with Congenital Syphilis, Georgia, 2008-2015
Table 1
Comparison of demographic and behavioral risk factors and case characteristics among pregnant women with syphilis infection that did and did not result in a case of congenital syphilis (CS) in Georgia, 2008-2015.
Total
Pregnancy outcome with CS
Pregnancy outcome without CS
value
Demographic characteristics
(%)
(%)
(%)
Maternal age
0.07
<20 years
82 (16.2)
12 (10.2)
70 (18.1)
20-34 years
382 (75.6)
93 (78.8)
289 (74.7)
35+ years
41 (8.1)
13 (11.0)
28 (7.2)
Missing response
0
0
0
Maternal race/ethnicity‡
0.93
White, non-Hispanic
71 (14.1)
18 (15.2)
53 (13.7)
Black, non-Hispanic
373 (73.9)
87 (73.7)
286 (73.9)
Asian/Other
8 (1.6)
1 (0.8)
7 (1.8)
Hispanic
52 (10.3)
12 (10.2)
40 (10.3)
Missing response
1 (0.2)
0
1 (0.3)
Geographic characteristics§ and provider type/location at diagnosis§
County—Metropolitan
0.64
No
58 (11.5)
12 (10.2)
46 (11.9)
Yes
443 (87.7)
104 (88.1)
339 (87.6)
Missing response
4 (0.8)
2 (1.7)
2 (0.5)
County—persistent poverty‡
0.07
No
463 (91.7)
112 (94.9)
351 (90.7)
Yes
38 (7.5)
4 (3.4)
34 (8.8)
Missing response
4 (0.8)
2 (1.7)
2 (0.5)
County—persistent child poverty‡
0.93
No
253 (50.1)
59 (50.0)
194 (50.1)
Yes
248 (49.1)
57 (48.3)
191 (49.4)
Missing response
4 (0.8)
2 (1.7)
2 (0.5)
County—low education level
0.38
No
459 (90.9)
104 (88.1)
355 (91.7)
Yes
42 (8.3)
12 (10.2)
30 (7.8)
Missing response
4 (0.8)
2 (1.7)
2 (0.5)
County—low employment level
0.36
No
418 (82.8)
100 (84.8)
318 (82.2)
Yes
83 (16.4)
16 (13.6)
67 (17.3)
Missing response
4 (0.8)
2 (1.7)
2 (0.5)
Provider type/location at syphilis diagnosis
<0.001
Public health clinic
76 (15.0)
15 (2.7)
61 (15.8)
Private physician
245 (48.5)
34 (28.8)
211 (54.5)
Hospital/ED
135 (26.7)
56 (47.5)
79 (20.4)
Other
29 (5.7)
7 (5.9)
22 (5.7)
Missing response
20 (4.0)
6 (5.1)
14 (3.6)
Behavioral risk factors
In last 12 months, exchanged sex for money or drugs
0.02
No
408 (80.8)
75 (63.6)
333 (86.0)
Yes
20 (4.0)
8 (6.8)
12 (3.1)
Missing response
77 (15.2)
35 (29.7)
42 (10.8)
In last 12 months, had anonymous sex
0.04
No
393 (77.8)
71 (60.2)
322 (83.2)
Yes
38 (7.5)
12 (10.2)
26 (6.7)
Missing response
74 (14.6)
35 (29.7)
39 (10.1)
In last 12 months, had sex while high on drugs
0.87
No
355 (70.3)
68 (57.6)
287 (74.2)
Yes
70 (13.9)
14 (11.9)
56 (14.5)
Missing response
80 (15.8)
36 (30.5)
44 (11.4)
In last 12 months, had sex with an IV drug user‡
0.59
No
424 (84.0)
83 (70.3)
341 (88.1)
Yes
5 (1.0)
0 (0)
5 (1.3)
Missing response
76 (15.0)
35 (29.7)
41 (10.6)
In last 12 months, had sex with an MSM‡
0.58
No
418 (82.8)
80 (67.8)
338 (87.3)
Yes
4 (0.8)
1 (0.8)
3 (0.8)
Missing response
83 (16.4)
37 (31.4)
46 (11.9)
High-risk sex behavior in last 12 months (composite)¶
0.43
No
328 (65.0)
60 (50.8)
268 (69.2)
Yes
91 (18.0)
20 (17.0)
71 (18.4)
Missing response
86 (17.0)
38 (32.2)
48 (12.4)
Incarcerated in the last 12 months
0.21
No
389 (77.0)
74 (62.7)
315 (81.4)
Yes
36 (7.1)
10 (8.5)
26 (6.7)
Missing response
80 (15.8)
34 (28.8)
46 (11.9)
IV drug use in the last 12 months‡
0.26
No
422 (83.6)
82 (69.5)
340 (87.9)
Yes
5 (1.0)
2 (1.7)
3 (0.8)
Missing response
78 (15.4)
34 (28.8)
44 (11.4)
Abbreviations: ED: emergency department; IV: intravenous; MSM: men who have sex with men. †For the variable “Gestational age at interview/exam,” the number of women who were pregnant at the interview or exam was 424. ‡Comparison performed with the Fisher exact test. §Data related to county and provider type/location of diagnosis analyzed in this table was collected using the Syphilis Interview Record form and may not be identical to the congenital syphilis surveillance data recorded using the CDC Congenital Syphilis (CS) Case Investigation and Reporting Form. ¶Included in the composite variable for “High risk sex behaviour in last 12 months” were the following variables: “In last 12 months, exchanged sex for money or drugs,” “In last 12 months, had anonymous sex,” “In last 12 months, had sex while high on drugs,” “In last 12 months, had sex with an IV drug user,” and “In last 12 months, had sex with an MSM.” “Yes” denotes a yes response to any of the variables. “No” denotes a no response to all of the variables.
