Table 5.
Association between water quality indicator levels and diarrhea among children < 5 years of age measured over a 12-month period in rural Tamil Nadu, India*
| Indicator level | N† | Diarrhea % | Unadjusted PR (95% CI) | Adjusted PR (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H2S | ||||
| Negative | 662 | 2.1 | Ref | Ref |
| Positive | 3,504 | 2.5 | 1.17 (0.54, 2.56) | 1.13 (0.53, 2.40) |
| Total coliforms | ||||
| ≤ 10,000 | 3,150 | 2.6 | Ref | Ref |
| > 10,000 | 1,002 | 1.9 | 0.73 (0.45, 1.17) | 1.01 (0.57, 1.80) |
| Escherichia coli | ||||
| ≤ 100 | 3,509 | 2.3 | Ref | Ref |
| 101–1,000 | 488 | 2.7 | 1.14 (0.58, 2.23) | 1.23 (0.67, 2.28) |
| > 1,000 | 155 | 3.9 | 1.66 (0.65, 4.21) | 2.16 (0.82, 5.71) |
*
PR = prevalence ratio; CI = confidence interval; Ref = reference group.
†
N = child weeks of observation collected from 1,284 children.