There have been very few longitudinal studies of diarrhoea morbidity in sub-Saharan Africa. This longitudinal study of children aged 3-35 months from 18 clusters of villages reports an annual incidence rate of 6.3 episodes per child in a rural area of Zaire, which is higher than a cross-sectional estimate previously obtained in the same district. The study confirms that a child's risk of diarrhoeal attack is associated with age, water quality and sanitation, parental education and household size. The findings suggest also that birth interval may be an important risk factor for diarrhoeal morbidity.
PIP: Although the exact magnitude of diarrheal disease morbidity and mortality in subSaharan Africa remains unclear, it is definitely substantial, with diarrheal disease-related morbidity and mortality rates possibly higher than in any other region in the world. There have been few longitudinal studies of diarrhea morbidity in subSaharan Africa. Findings are reported from the longitudinal study of the annual incidence rate of diarrhea episodes among all children aged 3-35 months on October 1, 1987, and October 1, 1988, in 18 clusters of villages within a 120-km radius of Kikwit in Bandundu Province, Zaire. The data are from a large community-based study conducted to test whether an educational intervention directed at selected hygiene practices would reduce diarrhea morbidity. 2082 children were recruited into the study on October 1, 1987, and 1954 children for the second round of the study one year later after a six-month intervention on selected hygiene practices. Researchers found an annual incidence rate of 6.3 episodes per child, higher than a cross-sectional estimate previously obtained in the same district. Findings confirm that a child's risk of diarrheal attack is associated with age, water quality, sanitation, parental education, and household size, and suggest that birth interval may also be an important risk factor for diarrheal morbidity.