Risk factors for childhood diarrhea in an urban community, Bangkok, Thailand

A follow-up study for diarrheal disease was carried out for a period of one year in children aged 0-5 yrs who lived in a government housing project in Din Daeng community of Bangkok metropolitan area during 1988-1989. The overall incidence was 0.9 episode per child per year with the higher episode of 2 per child per year in children less than 2 yrs. The risk factors of diarrheal occurrence were studies within different age groups. For children less than 6 months the major risk factors were low family income, low education level and unemployed parents. In children 6-11 months the other risk factors added to low income and education in mothers were children who did not live with parents. The risk factors for children 1-2 yrs were non-working mothers, and unhygienic behavior of the child care takers such as no hand washing after toilet use and the method of cleaning milk bottles for children 2-5 yrs. Method of faecal disposal, handwashing, day care and food protection were major sources of diarrheal risk.