Table 3.
Feeding characteristics, number of children and family members within household suggested to be associated with diarrhoeal illness in matched pairs of children aged <5 years seeking medical care at Cairo University (CU) and Ain Shams University (ASU) paediatric hospitals, Cairo, Egypt, 2004–2009
| Cases (n = 400) n (%) | Controls (n = 400) n (%) | mOR (95% CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Currently breastfeeding | 284 (71) | 293 (74) | 0·8 (0·6–1·2) | 0·3 |
| Bottle use | 122 (31) | 122 (31) | 1·0 (0·7–1·4) | 0·9 |
| Bottle cleaning | ||||
| Soap and water | 26 (22) | 21 (18) | 1·2 (0·4–4·1) | 0·9 |
| Only water | 23 (19) | 19 (16) | 1·4 (0·3–6·2) | 0·8 |
| Boiling/boiling and soap | 70 (59) | 77 (66) | 1 (ref.) | |
| Type of drink during the past week before interview | ||||
| Cow's milk | 144 (47) | 144 (47) | 1·0 (0·7–1·5) | 0·9 |
| Homemade juice | 192 (59) | 194 (59) | 1·0 (0·7–1·7) | 0·7 |
| Tea/herbal drinks | 195 (61) | 224 (66) | 0·8 (0·5–1·2) | 0·3 |
| Unboiled water | 232 (70) | 243 (72) | 0·8 (0·5–1·3) | 0·4 |
| Child uses pacifier | 107 (28) | 89 (23) | 1·4 (0·9–1·9) | 0·1 |
| Experiencing new food/drink a week prior to survey | 159 (46) | 113 (32) | 4·1 (2·4–7·0) | <0·0001 |
| No. of family members >4 | 169 (43) | 160 (40) | 1·1 (0·8–1·4) | 0·6 |
| Presence of child aged <5 years | 177 (44) | 179 (45) | 1·0 (0·8–1·3) | 0·9 |
| At least three persons sleeping in the same room | 167 (42) | 169 (43) | 1·0 (0·7–1·4) | 0·9 |
| Presence of family member with diarrhoea | 137 (35) | 46 (12) | 4·4 (2·8–6·7) | <0·0001 |
| Childcare outside home ⩾4 days during the week preceding the survey | 117 (70) | 94 (24) | 2·1 (1·2–3·6) | 0·008 |
mOR, Matched odds ratio; CI, confidence interval; ref. reference category.