Supakvadee Singubol. Risk factors related to acute diarrhea in children under five years of age in Nonthaburi province . Master's Degree(Epidemiology). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2006.
Risk factors related to acute diarrhea in children under five years of age in Nonthaburi province
Abstract:
The present study aimed at investigating the factors related to acute diarrhea in children
younger than five years of age. The retrospective community case-control research design
was employed. The sample consisted of 504 children younger than five years old who had
resided in Nonthaburi Province for at least three months. Of the total number of subjects, 168
were cases selected from the epidemiology surveillance of the Public Health Office,
Nonthaburi Province, and 336 subjects were controls. Data were collected from April 1, 2003
to July 1, 2003. The research assistants, who were public health officials, interviewed fathers,
mothers, relatives, or caregivers of the children using the interview questionnaire. Data were
analyzed by means of descriptive statistics and analytical statistics (Chi-square, t-test, and
multiple logistic regression analysis).
As for the findings, Logistic Regression revealed that the factors related to acute
diarrhea were demographic characteristics of the caregivers (relationship with the children),
sanitary and environmental factors (use of toilet and disposal of children’s feces), and sanitary
behaviors of caregivers (washing hands before meals, washing hands before feeding the
children, ways of eating of caregivers, children’s picking up food from the floor to eat, and
heating up leftover food for children). In addition, other factors which were found to be
associated with the aforementioned factors and increased the risk of acute diarrhea were
unclean household condition, no use of covered trash cans, abundance of flies, wrong ways to
wash children’s clothes with feces, washing hands after bowel movement/cleaning up the
children after bowel movement, washing hands before/while cooking/preparing the formula,
ways of preparing food for the children, using hands to feed the children, washing the
children’s hands before meals, heating up leftover food, drinking water for the children, and
covering the formula bottles. At present, rapid economic and social changes greatly affect
ways of life and increase risk behaviors that can harm health. It has also become a new form
of public health problem. Thus, related agencies and organizations, including the public sector
and local administrative bodies, should adjust their strategies and seek new ways to operate so
as to effectively deal with and accommodate such changes.