Weng, M. K.Adkins, S. H.Bamberg, W.Farley, M. M.Espinosa, C. C.Wilson, L.Perlmutter, R.Holzbauer, S.Whitten, T.Phipps, E. C.Hancock, E. B.Dumyati, G.Nelson, D. S.Beldavs, Z. G.Ocampo, V.Davis, C. M.Rue, B.Korhonen, L.McDonald, L. C.Guh, A. Y.2023-08-012023-08-012019-04-05Weng, M. K., S. H. Adkins, W. Bamberg, M. M. Farley, C. C. Espinosa, L. Wilson, R. Perlmutter, et al. “Risk Factors for Community-Associated Clostridioides Difficile Infection in Young Children.” Epidemiology & Infection 147 (2019): e172. doi:10.1017/S0950268819000372.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268819000372http://hdl.handle.net/11603/29016The majority of paediatric Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI) are community-associated (CA), but few data exist regarding associated risk factors. We conducted a case–control study to evaluate CA-CDI risk factors in young children. Participants were enrolled from eight US sites during October 2014–February 2016. Case-patients were defined as children aged 1–5 years with a positive C. difficile specimen collected as an outpatient or ⩽3 days of hospital admission, who had no healthcare facility admission in the prior 12 weeks and no history of CDI. Each case-patient was matched to one control. Caregivers were interviewed regarding relevant exposures. Multivariable conditional logistic regression was performed. Of 68 pairs, 44.1% were female. More case-patients than controls had a comorbidity (33.3% vs. 12.1%; P = 0.01); recent higher-risk outpatient exposures (34.9% vs. 17.7%; P = 0.03); recent antibiotic use (54.4% vs. 19.4%; P < 0.0001); or recent exposure to a household member with diarrhoea (41.3% vs. 21.5%; P = 0.04). In multivariable analysis, antibiotic exposure in the preceding 12 weeks was significantly associated with CA-CDI (adjusted matched odds ratio, 6.25; 95% CI 2.18–17.96). Improved antibiotic prescribing might reduce CA-CDI in this population. Further evaluation of the potential role of outpatient healthcare and household exposures in C. difficile transmission is needed.8 pagesen-USThis work was written as part of one of the author's official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S.C. 105, no copyright protection is available for such works under U.S. Law.Public Domain Mark 1.0http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/Text