Table 2.
Characteristics of the study population (n = 551) of Bolivian children seeking hospital care for diarrheal episodes, 2007 - 2009
| Characteristic | n | Frequency (Percent) or mean (SD) | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Demographics |
|
|
|
| Caregiver relationship to child |
542 |
|
|
| Mother |
|
493 |
(91.0) |
| Father |
|
38 |
(7.0) |
| Other relative |
|
11 |
(2.0) |
| Male child |
550 |
302 |
(54.9) |
| Age of child (months) |
524 |
12.6 |
(9.5) |
| Rural residence |
458 |
81 |
(17.7) |
| SUMI† |
313 |
266 |
(85.0) |
| Hospital (City) |
536 |
|
|
| Del Niño (La Paz) |
|
25 |
(4.7) |
| Materno-Infantil (La Paz) |
|
25 |
(4.7) |
| Boliviano Holandés (El Alto) |
|
61 |
(11.4) |
| Germán Urquidi (Cochabamba) |
|
75 |
(14.0) |
| Albina Patiño (Cochabamba)‡ |
|
203 |
(37.9) |
| Mario Ortiz Suárez (Santa Cruz) |
|
147 |
(27.4) |
| Number of people in household |
524 |
4.7 |
(2.4) |
| Average monthly household income (US$) |
551 |
242.50 |
(200.00) |
| Dual-income household |
477 |
145 |
(30.4) |
|
Treatment-Seeking Behavior |
|
|
|
| Sought treatment at least once previously to current visit |
467 |
384 |
(82.2) |
| Number of transportations taken to current visit |
428 |
1.3 |
(0.5) |
| Number of days child had diarrhea prior to current visit |
513 |
4.9 |
(7.4) |
|
Severity of illness |
|
|
|
| Child was an outpatient |
551 |
297 |
(53.9) |
| Child presented with at least one complication§ |
548 |
280 |
(51.1) |
| Child’s first episode of diarrhea in their life | 466 | 164 | (35.2) |
†Universal insurance program for Bolivian children <5 and pregnant women (covered up to 6 mo. post partum). ‡Private hospital. §Complications defined as at least one of the following, as diagnosed by the attending physician: electrolyte disorder, electrolyte imbalance, hypokalemia, metabolic acidosis, anemia, malnutrition, acute respiratory infection, bronchopneumonia, intussusception, dehydration, or any other unnamed complication.