Abstract
Background: Diarrhea diseases remain the leading cause of death among children under-five in lower and lower-middle-income countries. This study was conducted to investigate the factors related to diarrhea among children aged 12 to 35 months in Cambodia. Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from the Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey 2014 using a combination of household and children’s datasets. A generalized linear mixed model was used to analyze the determinant factors of diarrhea. Results: The survey included 2,828 children aged 12 to 35 months. The prevalence of diarrhea in the last 2 weeks was 16.44% (95% CI: 14.72%-18.31%). Factors significantly associated with childhood diarrhea were: maternal unemployment (AOR = 1.43; 95% CI: 1.14-1.78); the child being male (AOR = 1.25; 95%CI: 1.02-1.53); the presence of unimproved toilet facilities (AOR = 1.17; 95%CI: 1.05-1.31); and unhygienic disposal of children’s stools (AOR = 1.32; 95%CI: 1.06-1.64) when controlling for other covariates. Both maternal age (one year older; AOR = 0.85; 95%CI: 0.78– 0.93) and child age (one month older; AOR = 0.86; 95%CI: 0.78-0.94) had significant negative associations with the occurrence of childhood diarrhea. Conclusion: Childhood diarrhea remains a public health concern in Cambodia. Intervention programs should focus on reducing diarrheal diseases by constructing improved toilet facilities and promoting behavior to improve hygiene, specifically targeting younger mothers.
Highlights
The writing quality of the introduction needs substantial improvement
Multivariable analysis of factors associated with childhood diarrhea in Cambodia The multivariable analysis (Table 5) showed that as maternal age increased by a year, the odds of the child suffering from diarrhea decreased 15% (AOR = 0.85; 95%confidence intervals (CI): 0.78– 0.93; p=0.001)
Socio-demographic characteristics such as maternal age were significantly associated with reduced incidence of diarrhea, in line with studies conducted in Brazil that found younger mothers to be associated with a higher prevalence of diarrhea among their children[18]
Summary
The writing quality of the introduction needs substantial improvement. I am trying to help, but it is difficult and time-consuming. The authors stated that 'diarrhea alone account for one fifth of the deaths of children under the age of five in Cambodia." Please clarify these. Factors significantly associated with childhood diarrhea were: maternal unemployment (AOR = 1.43; 95% CI: 1.141.78); the child being male (AOR = 1.25; 95%CI: 1.02-1.53); the presence of unimproved toilet facilities (AOR = 1.17; 95%CI: 1.05-1.31); and unhygienic disposal of children’s stools (AOR = 1.32; 95%CI: 1.061.64) when controlling for other covariates Both maternal age (one year older; AOR = 0.85; 95%CI: 0.78– 0.93) and child age (one month older; AOR = 0.86; 95%CI: 0.78-0.94) had significant negative associations with the occurrence of childhood diarrhea. Intervention programs should focus on reducing diarrheal diseases by constructing improved toilet facilities and promoting behavior to improve hygiene, targeting younger mothers
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