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Can risk factors for infectious illnesses in children at day care centres be identified?
- Source :
- Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases; 2012, Vol. 44 Issue 2, p149-156, 8p, 3 Charts
- Publication Year :
- 2012
-
Abstract
- Background: The risk factors for febrile, respiratory, and gastrointestinal illnesses in preschool children at day care centres have not been adequately identified and may differ between countries. Methods: In this repeated cross-sectional and longitudinal study of children at day care centres, we analyzed various potential risk factors for infectious illnesses using a mixed effect hierarchical Poisson regression model. The results of the analyses and the incidence rates of these illnesses are reported herein. Results: The study lasted 2.5 y (2000-2003) and was divided into five 6-month periods (seasons). Nine hundred and seventeen children participated, and their mean age within each season was 3.6-4.1 y. The only consistent risk factors identified were young age and winter season. No consistent risk factors at the day care centres (facilities or hygiene practices) were identified. The incidences of the febrile, respiratory, and gastrointestinal illnesses varied significantly between seasons (winter/summer) and between age groups. Conclusions: Risk factors of infectious illnesses are difficult to identify and because they may vary between countries, international recommendations on expensive intervention strategies are not justifiable. Rates of respiratory illnesses in Icelandic preschool children appear higher than in other countries, but rates of gastrointestinal illnesses lower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- INFECTIOUS disease transmission
GASTROINTESTINAL diseases
RESPIRATORY infections
FEVER
ANALYSIS of variance
CHILD care
COMMUNICABLE diseases
CONFIDENCE intervals
LONGITUDINAL method
MULTIVARIATE analysis
POPULATION geography
QUESTIONNAIRES
REGRESSION analysis
RESEARCH funding
STATISTICAL sampling
SEASONS
DISEASE incidence
CROSS-sectional method
RETROSPECTIVE studies
DATA analysis software
DIARY (Literary form)
DESCRIPTIVE statistics
CHILDREN
DISEASE risk factors
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00365548
- Volume :
- 44
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 70333211
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3109/00365548.2011.599331