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Risk factors for deaths in under-age-five children attending a diarrhoea treatment centre

T Teka1, A S Faruque, G J Fuchs

  • 1International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh.

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|September 1, 1996
PubMed

Insights

Severe malnutrition and not breastfeeding significantly increase diarrhoeal death risk in children under five. These factors are critical for child survival strategies in developing nations.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Diarrhoeal diseases are a leading cause of mortality in children under five in developing countries.
  • Limited case-control studies exist on risk factors for childhood diarrhoeal deaths in these regions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify significant risk factors associated with diarrhoeal deaths in children under five.
  • To evaluate the predictive value of different malnutrition assessment indices for mortality risk.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of surveillance data from a diarrhea treatment center/hospital (1990-1994) involving 928 children under five.
  • Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to identify risk factors.
  • Weight-for-height, weight-for-age, and height-for-age indices were compared for assessing malnutrition-related mortality risk.

Main Results:

  • Univariate analysis identified 11 significant risk factors, including severe malnutrition, lack of breastfeeding, complicated diarrhea, pneumonia, and measles history.
  • Severe malnutrition (OR 84.2) and non-breastfeeding (OR 4.2) were the only significant factors in multivariate analysis.
  • Weight-for-height measurement was a better predictor of mortality risk than other anthropometric indices.

Conclusions:

  • Severe malnutrition and lack of breastfeeding are critical, independent risk factors for diarrhoeal deaths in children under five.
  • Public health interventions should prioritize addressing malnutrition and promoting breastfeeding to reduce child mortality.

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