Developmental, behavioural, and environmental risk factors for diarrhoea among rural Bangladeshi children of less than two years.
One hundred and eighty-five rural Bangladeshi children (80 boys and 105 girls) aged 4-27 months were observed to investigate developmental, behavioural, and environmental risk factors for diarrhoea during a 6-month period. Incidence of diarrhoea was found to be the highest among children aged 10-12 months. Children of this age group had the greatest exposure to environmental contaminants in the neighbourhood. Incidence of diarrhoea was the highest in hot, dry months. Risk factors for diarrhoea included: faecal contamination and garbage disposal in infant's outdoor play compound, crawling, contact of hand and mouth with contaminated materials, greater distance of household from water source, inadequate cleaning after defecation; dirt of child's face, presence of flies, feeding rotten food; insufficient washing of infant's and caretaker's hands before feeding rice meals or soft, wet foods; and lack of mothers' willingness to visit a modern (allopathic) health practitioner.
Zeitlin
M F
MF
Tufts University School of Nutrition, Medford, MA 02155, USA.
Ahmed
N U
NU
Beiser
A S
AS
Zeitlin
J A
JA
Super
C M
CM
Guldan
G S
GS
D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors