Addis Ababa University, Ethiopian Institute of Water Resources, Ethiopia; Haramaya University, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Harar, Ethiopia.
Haramaya University, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Harar, Ethiopia.
Travel Med Infect Dis. 2019 Sep-Oct;31:101385. doi: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2019.02.003. Epub 2019 Feb 14.
Diarrhea is one of the most common causes of child morbidity and mortality in refugee camps, aggravated by inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene services, and malnutrition, particularly in developing countries.
A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted to assess acute diarrhea and associated risk factors among under-five children in refugee and host communities in Gambella Region, Ethiopia. Descriptive statistics were used, and bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to identify variables associated with diarrhea.
A total of 1667 under-five children was included in this study, and prevalence of diarrhea differed between the refugee (38%) and host (33%) communities [OR = 1.37, 95% CI 1.04, 1.8]. Refugee camp households using uncovered water containers, consuming low quantities of water, and lacking hand washing setups were more likely to report children with diarrhea. Within host communities, households were more likely to report acute childhood diarrhea if they consumed surface water or did not have a latrine.
The two-week prevalence of diarrhea was significantly higher among children in the refugee camps than those in the host communities. Therefore, further collaboration between government and non-government organizations is required to identify persisting factors of diarrhea transmission in various communities in the region.
腹泻是难民营中儿童发病率和死亡率的最常见原因之一，由水、环境卫生和个人卫生服务不足以及营养不良引起，在发展中国家尤为如此。
在埃塞俄比亚甘贝拉地区，我们开展了一项比较性横断面研究，以评估难民和收容社区五岁以下儿童的急性腹泻和相关危险因素。我们使用描述性统计方法，并进行了单变量和多变量逻辑回归，以确定与腹泻相关的变量。
本研究共纳入了 1667 名五岁以下儿童，难民（38%）和收容（33%）社区之间腹泻的患病率存在差异[比值比（OR）=1.37，95%置信区间（CI）1.04，1.8]。在难民营中，使用无盖水容器、饮用水量少和缺乏洗手设施的家庭更有可能报告其儿童患有腹泻。在收容社区中，如果家庭使用地表水或没有厕所，则更有可能报告儿童出现急性腹泻。
难民儿童两周腹泻患病率明显高于收容社区儿童。因此，需要政府和非政府组织进一步合作，以确定该地区各社区持续存在的腹泻传播因素。
