Keywords
environmental sanitation
pollution
morbidity
environmental epidemiology
How to Cite
Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the differential vulnerability of children in relation to environmental sanitation conditions.
Methods: An ecological study was conducted about the association between the trend in rates of hospitalization for acute diarrheal disease (ADD) and the population covered by basic sanitation in Brazil by Brazilian states, and stratified by age. The polynomial regression model was used to assess trends.
Results: Using data from sanitation coverage and hospitalization rate for ADD, an inverse correlation was found between the two variables, with the correlation having greater magnitude and statistical significance for children (adults: r = -0.259, p = 0.184; children: r = -0.406, p = 0.032). Moreover, there was a statistically significant association for the number of hospitalizations for ADD in children, including the global data for Brazil (SIR = 3.17, 95 % CI 2.95 to 3.42).
Conclusions: Improved knowledge and information about children and their windows of susceptibility to environmental agents will help to identify susceptible subgroups and ages, as well as to plan specific preventive measures.
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