Evidence map›Paper›PMID 23856374›Full record

ArticleJournal of epidemiology and global health2011

Could influenza transmission be reduced by restricting mass gatherings? Towards an evidence-based policy framework.

David A Ishola, Nick Phin

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of epidemiology and global health, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
19citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

19 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  12. Mass Gathering Medicine in Soccer Leagues: A Review and Creation of the SALEM Tool.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021
    Review
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  14. The population attributable fraction of cases due to gatherings and groups with relevance to COVID-19 mitigation strategies.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2021
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

David A IsholaPandemic Influenza and Legionnaires' Disease Section, Health Protection Services, Health Protection Agency, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, United Kingdom. david.ishola@hpa.org.uk
Nick Phin

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionMass gatherings (MG) may provide ideal conditions for influenza transmission. The evidence for an association between MG and influenza transmission is reviewed to assess whether restricting MG may reduce transmission.

methodsMajor databases were searched (Pubmed, EMBASE, Scopus, CINAHL), producing 1706 articles that were sifted by title, abstract, and full-text. A narrative approach was adopted for data synthesis.

resultsTwenty-four papers met the inclusion criteria, covering MG of varying sizes and settings, and including 9 observational studies, 10 outbreak reports, 4 event reports, and a quasi-experimental study. There is some evidence that certain types of MG may be associated with increased risk of influenza transmission. MG may also "seed" new strains into an area, and may instigate community transmission in a pandemic. Restricting MGs, in combination with other social distancing interventions, may help reduce transmission, but it was not possible to identify conclusive evidence on the individual effect of MG restriction alone. Evidence suggests that event duration and crowdedness may be the key factors that determine the risk of influenza transmission, and possibly the type of venue (indoor/outdoor).

conclusionThese factors potentially represent a basis for a policy-making framework for MG restrictions in the event of a severe pandemic.

Indexed as

Group ProcessesEvidence-Based MedicineHumansInfluenza, HumanPublic PolicyEvidenceInfluenzaMass gatheringPolicyTransmission

Identifiers

PMID23856374
PMCPMC7104184

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.