Heterogeneity of Clostridioides difficile asymptomatic colonization prevalence: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Table 3 Meta-regression results relating study characteristics to asymptomatic carrier prevalence among all included studies

Population characteristics or setting (n)	Coefficient	95% CI		p value
Population characteristics or setting (n)	Coefficient	Inferior	Superior	p value
Healthy population (n = 6)	-0.17	-0.29	-0.06	0.004
Cancer population (n = 6)	0.08	-0.04	0.21	0.177
Cystic Fibrosis (n = 2)	0.32	0.11	0.53	0.003
Inflammatory bowel disease (n = 1)	-0.06	-0.36	0.25	0.712
Cirrhosis (n = 1)	0.18	-0.10	0.47	0.214
Kidney transplant (n = 1)	0.14	-0.15	0.44	0.335
Hospital setting – hospitalized patients (n = 6)	0.0001	-0.12	0.12	0.999
Hospital setting – patients at admission (n = 10)	0.02	-0.08	0.12	0.638
Hospital setting – health care workers (n = 2)	-0.04	-0.26	0.17	0.704
Intensive Care Unit (n = 7)	-0.02	-0.14	0.10	0.760
Long-term care facilities/Elderly population (n = 13)	-0.01	-0.10	0.08	0.813
Outbreak (n = 3)	0.16	-0.01	0.33	0.068
Geographic Region
North America (n = 19)	0.13	0.06	0.20	<0.001
Australia (n = 3)	0.01	-0.16	0.19	0.870
Asia (n = 10)	-0.03	-0.12	0.06	0.494
Europe (n = 18)	-0.09	-0.16	-0.02	0.013
Africa (n = 1)	-0.14	-0.44	0.15	0.348
Publication year	-0.005	-0.01	0.005	0.293

Univariate meta-regressions were performed to adjust for the effect of study-level covariates on the overall prevalence estimation. Coefficients indicate the change in prevalence associated with each predictor. Positive coefficients denote a higher prevalence in the group, whereas negative coefficients denote a lower prevalence. Significance was assessed via confidence intervals (CIs) and p-values
Abbreviations: LTCF: Long-term care facility; ICU: intensive care unit

ISSN: 1757-4749