Factors associated with diarrheal disease in the rural Caribbean region of Colombia

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To analyze factors associated with diarrheal disease in the rural Caribbean region of Colombia. METHOD: A cross-sectional study conducted in the rural area of the Cesar Department, Colombia, between November 2017 and June 2018. Self-reported cases of diarrheal disease were surveyed, and water samples from 42 households were collected and analyzed. Descriptive statistics were employed in the analysis of socioeconomic status, environmental and sanitary conditions, and we evaluated their association with the diarrheal disease using the Poisson regression models. Each model was adjusted with variables suggested by specific directed acyclic graphs. RESULTS: Poor water supply conditions, hygiene and basic sanitation were reported in the study area. All water samples were classified either as high risk for health problems or unfit for human consumption. The diarrheal disease had a prevalence of 7.5% across all ages and of 23.5% in children under five years old. The variables rainy season (PR = 0.24; 95%CI 0.07–0.85), children under five years old (PR = 4.05; 95%CI 1.70–9.68), water from deep wells (PR = 16.90; 95%CI 2.45–116.67), water from artificial ponds (PR = 11.47; 95%CI 1.27–103.29), toilets availability (PRA = 0.23; 95%CI 0.06–0.96), and swine presence (PR = 0.20; 95%CI 0.05–0.74) were significantly associated with the occurrence of diarrheal disease. CONCLUSION: Water supply, hygiene and basic sanitation conditions have been associated with the diarrheal disease, affecting almost a quarter of the population under five years old. There is an urge for the design of effective policies that improve environmental and sanitation conditions in rural areas.

Poor Basic Sanitation Impact on Diarrhea Cases in Toddlers

“…Research conducted in several regions of Indonesia showed that there was a relationship between the availability of healthy latrines and diarrhea for children under five years old (14,23,27). Improper faeces management and unhealthy latrines will increase the risk of diarrhea (27)(28)(29). This is because many infectious diseases are transmitted by fecal-oral transmission and through various media (such as water and soil), direct contact with surface of contaminated objects, or through vector (such as flies) when disposing of feces anywhere (30).…”

Determinants of Environmental Sanitation Related to the Incidence of Diarrhea among Infants

“…Diarrhea is also one of the environmental diseases and is predominantly caused by poor clean water facilities, disposal of feces and waste. Lack of clean water coverage is one of the factors in the incidence of diarrhea disease and needs to be considered because water is a necessity for bathing, washing, latrines, and consumption which must be protected and have to meet the water contaminated requirements [1][2][3][4].…”