Environmental & Socioeconomic Effects on Chlamydia trachomatis Incidence Rates in Montana
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Authors
Leveque-Zapata, Gina
Randle, Kaitlyn
Date of Issue
2024
Type
Presentation
Language
en_US
Subject Keywords
Other Titles
Abstract
On any given day, one in five people are actively infected with a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Chlamydia trichomatis is the most common STI, with one in 20 sexually active women being infected. Long term Chlamydia infections can lead to infertility, and even vision loss in the case of eye exposure. We tested for association between socioeconomic status, environmental factors and Chlamydia incidence rates within the 56 counties in Montana. We used county wide, passively surveyed, aggregated data on incidence rates of Chlamydia for the past 10 years. Poverty and education levels were the two socioeconomic variables investigated. We also sought to elucidate the correlation between various environmental factors that increase Chlamydia incidence. This data was analyzed for correlation by using a linear and multiple linear regression model. The less affluent counties have less access to adequate healthcare and education, which most likely correlates to higher STI incidence rates. The more moderate temperature climates most likely experience higher rates of Chlamydia based on previous research. Based on the colder temperatures at higher elevations, we believe there will be an inverse relationship between elevation and Chlamydia incidence rates. We will present our findings of which factors are significantly associated with Chlamydia incidence rates. Looking at both environmental and socioeconomic factors enables improved identification of at-risk areas and better-targeted preventive and screening efforts in order to decrease the prevalence of Chlamydia within Montana.