AGENTS AFFECTING HEALTH OF MOTHER AND CHILD IN A RURAL AREA OF KENYA .7. INCIDENCE OF DIARRHEAL DISEASE IN THE UNDER-5 POPULATION

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 30  (3) , 383-391
Abstract
The outcome of 3 yr of fortnightly diarrhea surveillance of about 4000 children under the age of 5 is described. The 2-weekly incidence of diarrhea in children in the age group 0-5, 6-11 and 12-23 mo., who were reported and/or observed to be ill, was 3.4, 5.6 and 3.4%, respectively. A decline in the attack rates of diarrhea not associated with measles at the end of 1975 and the beginning of 1976 corresponded with a similar decline in the incidence of measles and malnutrition. [Escherichia coli, Shigella boydii, S. flexneri and Salmonella were isolated from 12% of the cases.] Initially diarrhea information was only obtained from children who were reported and/or observed to be ill; later all mothers were questioned about their children''s diarrhea experience at the moment of the fieldworker''s visit or in the preceding 2 wk. This yielded a 4- to 7-fold increase in diarrhea incidence. Diarrhea appears to be a common condition among children under 5 which is not necessarily considered to be an illness by the mother.

This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit: