Log-linear model to assess socioeconomic and environmental factors with childhood diarrhea using hospital based surveillance

Abstract

Categorical outcomes with environment factors analyzed by log linear model are frequent in the environmental epidemiological literature. Epidemiological and socio-economical factors were obtained on 1,119 children below the age of 5 from Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) at the Kolkata, India. Significant associations of diarrhea were observed in the rural areas with family income, father's occupation as a daily labor, literacy of parents, non-cemented floor and wall constructed of mud, and type of storage (wide mouthed earthen pot). The results of the study with specific Log linear model confirm environmental factors were important implications for childhood diarrhea in the rural community. To reduce the diseases burden, the intervention strategies such as education, improvement of economic status and living environment are recommended. Copyright © 2008 JMASM, Inc.