[Comparative analysis of three diarrhea-household-surveys in Guangxi]

To study the epidemiological characteristics and the effects of control measurements in Guangxi by comparing the results from diarrhea-household-surveys conducted in the three different periods of time and to develop control strategies.

Data on the incidence, health care seeking and treatment of diarrhea from three household surveys conducted in 1988, 1995 and 2007 was analyzed using SPSS (version 13.0).

The incidence rates of diarrhea over the three periods of time were 0.562, 0.456 and 0.221 per person-year, respectively (P < 0.001). No significant difference was found in the incidence between males and females. The disease mainly attacked young age groups and those with lower educational levels. In recent years, longer durations of disease but less severe were observed in patients with diarrhea. The patients mainly visited first line health services with a health care seeking rate of 28.3%. Antibiotics were used by most of the patients (49.8% - 90.2%), while the rate of using oral rehydration salts (ORS) was only 1.4% - 11.5% but the use of traditional Chinese medicines has increased. Intake of untreated water, contaminated foods and contact with patients were important risk factors on diarrhea.

The prevalence of diarrhea in Guangxi had declined and the health seeking rate was low in the past two decades. It is necessary to further regulate the treatment, in order to strengthen the health education programs to the general population, in order to improve the accessibility of health services and to increase both the health care seeking rate and effective diagnosis rate.