title: [Absence because of infectious diseases among children attending day care institutions in a county].
abstract: A retrospective investigation was undertaken of the connection between absence on account of illness and the hygienic routines in 28 day institutions in the County of Storstrøm. A total of 953 children aged 0-6 years were involved. Absence on account of illness was described on the basis of registration for three months carried out by the staffs of the day institutions. On the basis of information about sick-leave, interview investigations were carried out the hygienic routines in the six day institutions which showed the highest and lowest absenteeism on account of illness, respectively. Only slight differences were found in the hygienic routines in the institutions investigated and no connections were found between sickness and hygiene. On the other hand, there appears to have been a connection between absence on account of illness and time spent out-of-doors; the greatest illness being observed in the institutions where the children spent least time out-of-doors. With the object preventions of illness among children in day institutions, further investigations concerning the significance of time spent out-of-doors and the indoor environment for these children would be of interest.
authors.affiliation: Embedslaegeinstitutionen for Storstrøms Amt, Nykøbing.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Søe
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Hammershøy
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D002648:Child; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D007223:Infant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission