Two-week prevalence among rural children under 3 years old in four provinces of central-west China

Objective To investigate two-week prevalences and influential factors of cold and diarrhea among rural children aged under 3 years in 4 provinces in central-west China. Methods Totally 1 272 children under 3 years old were selected from 16 counties in Xinjiang,Shanxi,Gansu,and Qinghai province with multi-stage stratified randomization method and investigated on two-week prevalence rates of cold and diarrhea. SPSS 19. 0 software was used to carry on statistical analysis. Results The two-week prevalence rates of cold and diarrhea for the children was 26. 8% and 19. 9%,respectively.The prevalence rate of diarrhea of the minority and Han children was 25. 0% and 12. 5%. The prevalence rate of diarrhea in minority children was higher than in Han children( χ2= 30. 146,P = 0. 000). The two-week prevalence rate of cold was different among the children with mothers of different education level( χ2= 37. 627,P = 0. 000) and so as the two-prevalence rate of diarrhea( χ2= 57. 914,P = 0. 000). The two-week prevalence rate of diarrhea was different among the children with the mothers of different age( χ2= 6. 873,P = 0. 009). Multiple regression analyses showed that with the mother of high education level( odds ratio[OR]= 0. 634) was a protective factor for avoiding cold. Compared with that in Qinghai,the two-week prevalence rates of cold and diarrhea for the children in Xinjiang( OR = 2. 183) and Gansu( OR = 1. 943) were higher. With mothers of high education( OR = 0. 517) and younger age( OR = 1. 910) were protective factors for the children to avoid diarrhea. Compared with that in Qinghai,the two-week prevalence rate of diarrhea for children in Xinjiang( OR = 2. 379) was higher. Conclusion Health education on disease prevention among the mothers and caregivers is a major strategy to reduce the prevalence rates of cold and diarrhea in rural children under 3 years old in western China.