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  • Title: Influence of environmental factors on underfive morbidity.
    Author: Agarwal DK, Katiyar GP.
    Journal: Indian Pediatr; 1981 Aug; 18(8):545-50. PubMed ID: 7309216.
    Abstract:
    The effects of environmental factors in the morbidity pattern of 893 children under 5 years of age living in the urban, urban slum, and rural areas of Varanasi are investigated. 273 children belonged to an urban area, 284 to urban slum area, and 336 to a rural area. All 3 areas have general outpatient services as well as underfive clinics. Data on childrearing practices, anthropometric measurements, and morbidity are recorded in the health cards of the children. Various illnesses observed included gastroenteritis, upper respiratory tract infection, stomatitis, constipation, fever, pica, anemia, Vitamin A deficiency, measles, chicken pox, whooping cough, and others. Total illnesses per child were higher in urban slum and rural children compared to the urban group (chi-square=132.7, p0.001). Children who lived in pucca and mixed houses in urban slum and rural areas had significantly higher morbidity compared to the urban group (pucca houses, chi-square=77.01, p0.01; mixed houses, chi-square=16.98, p0.001). The incidence of morbidity was higher in children who lived in inadequately ventilated kachcha houses, had poor source of water supply through open wells and practiced open field defecation compared to those who lived in pucca houses with adequate ventilation, utilized tap water, and were using service latrines. The findings suggest the need to educate mothers and to improve sanitation in order to maintain hygienic conditions for improving the health status of the children. A safe drinking water scheme should be immediately instituted in the crowded urban slums or rural areas. The few wells in villages should be improved and water chlorinated by bleaching powder or chlorine tablets.
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