title: Developmental, behavioural, and environmental risk factors for diarrhoea among rural Bangladeshi children of less than two years.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Tufts University School of Nutrition, Medford, MA 02155, USA.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Zeitlin
authors.forename: N U
authors.initials: NU
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Beiser
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Zeitlin
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Super
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Guldan
mesh_terms: 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