Quantifying social contact dynamics in South Korea in the post-COVID-19 endemic phase: A cross-sectional survey for infectious disease transmission

IF 4.7 3区医学 Q1 INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Journal of Infection and Public Health Pub Date : 2025-02-28 DOI:10.1016/j.jiph.2025.102725

Gyeongseon Shin, SeungJin Bae

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Understanding the dynamics of social contact patterns is crucial for modeling the spread of infectious diseases. Although previous studies have examined them globally, how relevant they are to social patterns in the endemic phase is still unclear. South Korea’s distinct cultural norms, aging population, and declining fertility highlight the critical need for new, context-specific data. Here, we aim to conduct a contact survey in South Korea, providing age and location-specific contact estimates and quantifying patterns related to infectious disease transmission.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional survey in South Korea from July 6 to September 5, 2023. Participants of all ages were recruited using quota sampling based on the 2023 census, with only one individual per household included. Social contacts, both physical and non-physical, were recorded through a 24-hour diary. The data were analyzed with a negative binomial regression model. Age-specific contact matrices were constructed using census-based sampling weights, with uncertainty assessed through bootstrapping.

Results

A total of 1493 participants (740 males and 753 females) reported 14,187 contacts, with an average of 9.2 daily contacts (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 8.7–9.8). Contacts peaked at 17.8 (95 % CI: 14.6–21.5) among children aged 5–9 and were lowest at 3.5 (95 % CI: 2.6–4.5) for those aged 75 and above. Children and teenagers had a higher rate of peer-group contact, with most contacts occurring in workplaces or educational institutions. The level of family contact increased across all age groups.

Conclusion

We identified distinct social contact patterns in South Korea, such as high interactions within peer groups, which suggest the need for school-based vaccination programs, family-centered strategies, and workplace infection control measures. These findings provide critical baseline data to enhance disease modeling and inform professional public health policy development in South Korea and other cultural contexts.

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来源期刊

Journal of Infection and Public Health PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH -INFECTIOUS DISEASES

CiteScore

13.10

自引率

1.50%

发文量

203

审稿时长

96 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Infection and Public Health, first official journal of the Saudi Arabian Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences and the Saudi Association for Public Health, aims to be the foremost scientific, peer-reviewed journal encompassing infection prevention and control, microbiology, infectious diseases, public health and the application of healthcare epidemiology to the evaluation of health outcomes. The point of view of the journal is that infection and public health are closely intertwined and that advances in one area will have positive consequences on the other. The journal will be useful to all health professionals who are partners in the management of patients with communicable diseases, keeping them up to date. The journal is proud to have an international and diverse editorial board that will assist and facilitate the publication of articles that reflect a global view on infection control and public health, as well as emphasizing our focus on supporting the needs of public health practitioners. It is our aim to improve healthcare by reducing risk of infection and related adverse outcomes by critical review, selection, and dissemination of new and relevant information in the field of infection control, public health and infectious diseases in all healthcare settings and the community.