Diarrhoea in slum children: observation from a large diarrhoeal disease hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Issue 10 (18th July 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ferdous, Farzana; Das, Sumon Kumar; Ahmed, Shahnawaz; Farzana, Fahmida Dil; Malek, Mohammad Abdul; Das, Jui; Latham, Jonathan Ross; Faruque, Abu Syed Golam; Chisti, Mohammod Jobayer
• Is Part Of: Tropical medicine & international health. Volume 19:Issue 10(2014:Oct.)
• Page Start: 1170
• Page End: 1176
• Publication Date: 2014-07-18
• Subjects: Tropical medicine -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; 616.988
• DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12357
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1360-2276

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="tmi12357-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="tmi12357-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Objectives</title> <p>To determine and compare socio‐demographic, nutritional and clinical characteristics of children under five with diarrhoea living in slums with those of children who do not live in slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh.</p> </sec> <sec id="tmi12357-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>From 1993 to 2012, a total of 28 948 under fives children with diarrhoea attended the Dhaka Hospital of icddr, b. Data were extracted from the hospital‐based Diarrhoea Disease Surveillance System, which comprised 17 548 under fives children from slum and non‐slum areas of the city.</p> </sec> <sec id="tmi12357-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Maternal illiteracy [aOR = 1.57; 95% confidence interval (1.36, 1.81), <italic>P</italic>‐value <0.001], paternal illiteracy [1.37 (1.21, 1.56) <0.001], mother's employment [1.59 (1.37, 1.85) <0.001], consumption of untreated water [2.73 (2.26, 3.30) <0.001], use of non‐sanitary toilets [3.48 (3.09, 3.93) <0.001], 1st wealth quintile background [3.32 (2.88, 3.84) <0.001], presence of fever [1.14 (1.00, 1.29) 0.047], some or severe dehydration [1.21 (1.06, 1.40) 0.007], stunting [1.14 (1.01, 1.29) 0.030] and infection with <italic>Vibrio cholerae</italic> [1.21 (1.01, 1.45) 0.039] were significantly associated with slum‐dwelling children after controlling for co‐variates. Measles immunisation [0.52 (0.47, 0.59) <italic>P</italic> < 0.001] and vitamin A supplementation rates [0.36 (0.31, 0.41) <italic>P</italic> < 0.001] amongst children 12–59 months were lower for slum dwellers than other children in univarate analysis only.</p> </sec> <sec id="tmi12357-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>Slum‐dwelling children are more malnourished, have lower immunisation rates (measles vaccination and vitamin A supplementation) and higher rates of measles, are more susceptible to diarrhoeal illness due to <italic>V. cholerae</italic> and suffer from severe dehydration more often than children from non‐slum areas. Improved health and nutrition strategies should give priority to children living in urban slums.</p> </sec> </abstract>