Table 8.
Predictors of recommended treatment among patients < 5 years of age meeting criteria for uncomplicated diarrhea (N = 222)
| Characteristic | N | Weighted % given recommended treatment* | Unadjusted odds ratio (95% CI) | P value | Adjusted odds ratio† (95% CI) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patient related | ||||||
| Age group | ||||||
| 0–11 months | 61 | 50.3 | 2.0 (0.9–4.2) | 0.083 | 1.3 (0.6–3.2) | 0.500 |
| 12–59 months | 161 | 34.2 | Referent | Referent | ||
| Sex | ||||||
| Male | 119 | 30.7 | 0.5 (0.3–0.9) | 0.025 | 0.4 (0.2–0.8) | 0.016 |
| Female | 103 | 47.4 | Referent | Referent | ||
| Caregivers' spontaneous report of diarrhea | ||||||
| Yes | 187 | 43.3 | 12.5 (3.3–46.9) | < 0.001 | 24.2 (6.0–97.0) | < 0.001 |
| No | 35 | 5.8 | Referent | Referent | ||
| Presence of fever | ||||||
| Yes | 182 | 33.8 | 0.3 (0.1–0.7) | 0.005 | 0.4 (0.1–1.3) | 0.132 |
| No | 40 | 62.0 | Referent | Referent | ||
| HCW related | ||||||
| HCW diagnosis of malaria | ||||||
| Yes | 103 | 23.7 | 0.3 (0.1–0.5) | < 0.001 | 0.3 (0.1–0.6) | 0.003 |
| No | 119 | 54.7 | Referent | Referent | ||
| Type of clinician‡ | ||||||
| Clinical officer | 15 | 25.5 | Referent | Referent | ||
| Medical assistant | 177 | 38.0 | 1.8 (0.4–7.8) | 0.018 | 1.0 (0.1–8.3) | 0.248 |
| Nurse | 18 | 41.7 | 2.1 (0.3–13.0) | 0.3 (0.02–3.8) | ||
| Others | 11 | 62.0 | 4.8 (1.1–21.7) | 3.3 (0.3–37.7) | ||
| IMCI reference material available‡ | ||||||
| Yes | 26 | 66.5 | 3.6 (1.3–10.2) | 0.015 | 4.4 (1.2–16.3) | 0.025 |
| No | 195 | 35.3 | Referent | Referent | ||
| Health facility related | ||||||
| Health facility operator | ||||||
| MoH | 189 | 36.7 | 0.4 (0.2–1.2) | 0.106 | 0.2 (0.05–1.1) | 0.071 |
| CHAM | 33 | 57.1 | Referent | Referent | ||
| Stock of ORS available for the full day | ||||||
| Yes | 202 | 40.5 | 2.3 (0.9–5.7) | 0.073 | 4.0 (1.5–10.2) | 0.005 |
| No | 20 | 22.9 | Referent | Referent | ||
CHAM = Christian Health Association of Malawi; CI = confidence interval; HCW = health-care worker; IMCI = integrated management of childhood illness; ORS = oral rehydration salts.
Weighted percent of those who received recommended treatment within each subcategory. Accounts for outpatient department (OPD) and patient sampling probabilities and nonresponse. The analysis also accounts for clustering at the health facility level.
Confounding was tested for the following variables, but was found not to be present: number of patient visits per day at the selected OPD, years of formal health professional training, years of experience caring for patients, sex of health worker, health facility type, ever attended IMCI training, number of diagnoses given by the HCW, supervisory visits in the last 6 months.
Information missing from one HCW.