Risk factors for hospitalization of children with diarrhea in Shahrekord, Iran

Diarrheal infections are responsible for over a quarter of all childhood mortality worldwide. The present study was performed to establish risk factors for hospitalization of children with diarrhea in Shahrekord, Iran. For this case-control study, cases were selected through children hospitalized due to acute diarrhea lasting less than 14 days and controls were compromised of children with a clinical diagnosis of acute diarrhea lasting for less than 14 days who did not require hospitalization. Controls were selected from out-patient department or 3 primary health care centers. The study population included 259 hospitalized children (cases), 245 OPD and 245 primary health centres controls. In total, bloody diarrhea, dehydration, breastfeeding for £6 months, history of hospitalization in the previous year, lack of access to safe water, keeping animals at home and the presence of watery stool were associated with an increased risk of hospitalization during univariate analysis. However, multivariate analysis revealed that bloody diarrhea, watery stool, vomiting, use of unsafe water, prior hospitalization, and the presence of rotavirus or salmonella in the stool were independent factors increasing the risk of hospitalization. Our results indicate that improving environmental sanitation, socio-economic status and establishing training programs for parents can reduce risk of hospitalization due to diarrhea in children.