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Diarrhea in children under 5 years of age from Ifakara, Tanzania: a case-control study

J Gascón1, M Vargas, D Schellenberg

  • 1Tropical Section, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain. jgascon@medicina.ub.es

Journal of Clinical Microbiology
|December 2, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Diarrheal diseases in Tanzanian children under 5 are linked to fewer siblings and greater distance from water sources. Shigella was the only pathogen significantly associated with diarrhea.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Diarrheal diseases pose a significant health burden on children under 5 years of age, particularly in resource-limited settings.
  • Understanding the specific risk factors and causative agents is crucial for effective prevention and treatment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the risk factors and etiology of diarrheal diseases in children under 5 in Ifakara, Tanzania.
  • To identify specific enteropathogens associated with diarrhea in this population.

Main Methods:

  • A matched case-control study was conducted with 103 cases and 206 controls, matched for sex and age.
  • Data were collected using precoded questionnaires and stool samples were analyzed for bacterial, parasitological, and viral pathogens.

Main Results:

  • Factors associated with reduced risk of diarrhea included a high number of siblings, surviving siblings, birth order, and proximity to water sources.
  • Shigella species were the only enteropathogen significantly associated with diarrhea (OR, 2.90; P < 0.029).
  • High rates of enteropathogen isolates (52.23%) were found in children without diarrhea; E. coli strains, Giardia lamblia, and Salmonella species were not statistically related to diarrhea.

Conclusions:

  • Family size and water source proximity are important factors influencing diarrhea risk in young children.
  • Shigella species represent a key bacterial pathogen linked to childhood diarrhea in this Tanzanian setting.
  • Further research is needed to understand the high prevalence of enteropathogens in asymptomatic children.

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