To investigate the risk factors of common cold in the naval afloat unit.

A retrospective survey was made on the 694 naval afloat personnel and the case-control study was performed. The subjects were divided into the more liable to common cold group (common cold per year≥2 twice) (totaling 365 cases) and the less liable to common cold group (common cold per year<2 twice) (totaling 329 cases) , by depending on their liability to cold. Multivariate risk factors of common cold were analyzed by using logistic regression method.

Single factor or univariate analysis showed that there was statistical significance in educational background, active smoking and passive smoking, vegetable consumption, fruit consumption, sleep quality, exercise, application of antibiotics per year, when comparisons were made between two groups (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that related factors of common cold were educational background, active smoking and passive smoking, fruit consumption (<3 times per week), sleep quality, exercise(<3 times per week) and application of antibiotics per year(>3 times)after adjustment of the influential factors, with odds ratio and 95% confidence interval being respectively 0.681(0.470-0.986), 1.812(1.046-3.138), 2.160(1.337-3.490), 2.109(1.495-3.205), 4.204(2.927-6.038), 2.440(1.584-3.758)and 5.178(3.486-7.691). The factor of vegetable consumption (<3 times per week) was positively correlated with common cold.

The study demonstrated that educational background was an independent protective factor of common cold, while active smoking, passive smoking, fruit consumption(<3 times per week), sleep quality and exercise (<3 times per week) were independent risk factors of common cold.

Common cold; Risk factor; Naval vessel