Cytomegalovirus (CMV) seroprevalence among women at childbearing age, maternal and congenital CMV infection: policy implications of a descriptive, retrospective, community-based study

Table 1 The study population, initial CMV serologic status and CMV infection during 2010–2020

	Ultra-orthodox Jews	Arab	General	All	P value
Number of women (row %)	12,589 (28%)	16,333 (36%)	16,712 (37%)	45,634
NSI exemption	8%	NA	6%	7%	< 0.001
Age at first gestational event during 2013–2019 (mean)	28.1	26.3	29.9	28.1	< 0.001
Pregnancies during 2013–2019 (mean)	2.2	1.7	1.8	1.9	< 0.001
1 pregnancy	30%	47%	42%	41%	< 0.001
> 3 pregnancies	11%	3%	4%	6%	< 0.001
Live births (mean)	2.0	1.5	1.6	1.7	< 0.001
Abortion or termination of pregnancies (mean)	0.18	0.19	0.25	0.21	< 0.001
CMV lab tests available	96%	96%	93%	95%	< 0.001
Seropositive initial CMV serostatus	86%	98%	83%	89%	< 0.001
CMV infection during 2010–2020	6.5%	0.8%	6.6%	4.4%	< 0.001

NSI = National Security Institute exemption indicator is associated with eligibility for discount or waiver on select services' fees and may serve as a proxy for low socio-economic status as well as utilization and exhaustion of rights. This is not a good indicator for socio-economic status in Arab population for various reasons

ISSN: 2045-4015