A Randomized, Controlled Trial of In-Home Drinking Water Intervention to Reduce Gastrointestinal Illness

Authors

John M. Colford, University of California - Berkeley
Timothy J. Wade, University of California - Berkeley
Sukhminder K. Sandhu, University of California - Berkeley
Catherine C. Wright, University of California - Berkeley
Sherline Lee, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Susan Shaw, US Environmental Protection Agency
Kim Fox, US Environmental Protection Agency National Homeland Security Research Center
Susan Burns, University of California - Berkeley
Anne Benker, University of California - Berkeley
M. Alan Brookhart, University of California - Berkeley
Mark van der Laan, University of California - Berkeley
Deborah A. Levy, University of Nebraska Medical CenterFollow

Document Type

Article

Journal Title

American Journal of Epidemiology

Publication Date

2005

Volume

161

Abstract

Trials have provided conflicting estimates of the risk of gastrointestinal illness attributable to tap water. To estimate this risk in an Iowa community with a well-run water utility with microbiologically challenged source water, the authors of this 2000-2002 study randomly assigned blinded volunteers to use externally identical devices (active device: 227 households with 646 persons; sham device: 229 households with 650 persons) for 6 months (cycle A). Each group then switched to the opposite device for 6 months (cycle B). The active device contained a 1-microm absolute ceramic filter and used ultraviolet light. Episodes of "highly credible gastrointestinal illness," a published measure of diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps, were recorded. Water usage was recorded with personal diaries and an electronic totalizer. The numbers of episodes in cycle A among the active and sham device groups were 707 and 672, respectively; in cycle B, the numbers of episodes were 516 and 476, respectively. In a log-linear generalized estimating equations model using intention-to-treat analysis, the relative rate of highly credible gastrointestinal illness (sham vs. active) for the entire trial was 0.98 (95% confidence interval: 0.86, 1.10). No reduction in gastrointestinal illness was detected after in-home use of a device designed to be highly effective in removing microorganisms from water.

DOI Link

10.1093/aje/kwi067

ISSN

0002-9262

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication 1.0 License.

Rights

U.S. Government Work

Recommended Citation

Colford, John M.; Wade, Timothy J.; Sandhu, Sukhminder K.; Wright, Catherine C.; Lee, Sherline; Shaw, Susan; Fox, Kim; Burns, Susan; Benker, Anne; Brookhart, M. Alan; van der Laan, Mark; and Levy, Deborah A., "A Randomized, Controlled Trial of In-Home Drinking Water Intervention to Reduce Gastrointestinal Illness" (2005). Journal Articles: Epidemiology. 89.
https://digitalcommons.unmc.edu/coph_epidem_articles/89