Association between child-care and acute diarrhea: a study in Portuguese children

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2003

Authors

Barros H (Author) FMUP; Lunet N (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Revista de Saúde Pública

Vol. 37

Pages: 603-608

ISSN: 0034-8910

Publisher: Universidade de São Paulo

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 10 Citations

Scopus - 10 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-000-F35

DOI: 10.1590/s0034-89102003000500009

Abstract (EN): Objective To quantify the influence of the type of child-care on the occurrence of acute diarrhea with special emphasis on the effect of children grouping during care. Methods From October 1998 to January 1999 292 children, aged 24 to 36 months, recruited using a previously assembled cohort of newborns, were evaluated. Information on the type of care and occurrence of diarrhea in the previous year was obtained from parents by telephone interview. The chi(2), and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare proportions and quantitative variables, respectively. The risk of diarrhea was estimated through the calculation of incident odds ratios (OR) and their respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), crude and adjusted by unconditional logistic regression. Results Using as reference category children cared individually at home, the adjusted ORs for diarrhea occurrence were 3.18, 95% CI [1.49, 6.77] for children cared in group at home, 2.28, 95% CI [0.92, 5.67] for children cared in group in day-care homes and 2.54, 95% CI [1.21, 5.33] for children cared in day-care centers. Children that changed from any other type of child-care setting to child-care centers in the year preceding the study showed a risk even higher (OR 7.65, 95% CI [3.25, 18.02]). Conclusions Group care increases the risk of acute diarrhea whatsoever the specific setting.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 6