A multiyear prospective study of the risk factors for and incidence of diarrheal illness in a cohort of Peace Corps volunteers in Guatemala.

BACKGROUND

Diarrheal illness is the most common medical disorder among travelers from developed to developing countries and is common among expatriate residents in developing countries.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the risk factors for and incidence of diarrheal illness among Americans living in a developing country.

DESIGN

Prospective longitudinal study.

SETTING

Rural Guatemala.

PATIENTS

Cohort of 36 Peace Corps volunteers.

MEASUREMENTS

Collection of daily dietary and symptom data for more than 2 years; identification by multivariate Poisson regression analyses of risk factors for clinically defined episodes of diarrheal illness.

RESULTS

The 36 Peace Corps volunteers in this study had 307 diarrheal episodes (median, 7 per person), which lasted a median of 4 days (range, 1 to 112) and a total of 10.1% of the 23 689 person-days in the study. The incidence density (episodes per person-year) was 4.7 for the study as a whole, 6.1 for the first 6-month period, 5.2 for the second 6-month period, and 3.6 thereafter. Statistically significant risk factors for diarrheal illness included drinking water whose source (for example, the tap) and, therefore, quality, was unknown to the person; eating food prepared by a Guatemalan friend or family; eating food at a small, working-class restaurant; eating fruit peeled by someone other than a Peace Corps volunteer; drinking an iced beverage; and eating ice cream, ice milk, or flavored ices. The relative risks comparing the presence of these exposures during the first 6-month period overseas with their absence during the second year of residence ranged from 1.90 to 2.67, and the summary attributable risk percentage (that is, the percentage of diarrheal episodes that could be ascribed to the exposures) was 75.4%. Exposures generally were riskier if they occurred during travel elsewhere in Guatemala rather than in the person's usual work area.

CONCLUSIONS

Diarrheal illness of mild-to-moderate severity continued to occur throughout Peace Corps service but decreased in incidence as length of stay increased. Various dietary behaviors increased the risk for diarrheal illness, which suggests that avoidance of potentially risky foods and beverages is beneficial.