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Infections and other illnesses of children in day-care centers in Helsinki I: Incidences and effects of home and day-care center variables

Infektionen und andere Krankheiten bei Kindern in Kindertagesstätten in Helsinki I: Inzidenz und Einfluß von häuslichen und mit Tagesstätten assoziierten Variablen

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Summary

Illnesses among children attending municipal day-care centers (DCCs) were followed in a prospective study in Helsinki during 1985–1986. The study comprised 1,905 follow-up years among children in 29 DCCs. The mean number of illness periods was 4.9 per follow-up year, 7.9 for those under the age of three years and 3.8 for older children. The corresponding average numbers of days of illness were 23, 39 and 17. The most common diagnoses were upper respiratory tract infections (46.0%), diarrhea (17.2%), otitis media (12.9%), eye infections (4.0%), acute tonsillitis (3.2%), and bronchitis (3.0%). The six most common diagnoses, all infections, caused 86% of periods and 79% of days of illness. The ten most common infectious diseases caused 90.9% of absence periods, surgical operations 1.8%, and injuries 0.8%. In children under three years of age, a small area and volume of a DCC, lack of fully mechanized ventilation, and lack of separate facilities were associated with a higher incidence of one or all of the six most common infections. A large number of children at a DCC and small homes were associated with a high incidence of one or all of the most common infections among both younger and older children. The effects of passive smoking, number of siblings, number of household members, and incomes of families were not statistically significant.

Zusammenfassung

In einer prospektiven Studie wurden in Helsinki in den Jahren 1985–1986 Krankheiten bei Kindern, die in städtischen Kindertagesstätten betreut werden, registriert. Die Studie umfaßte 1905 Betreuungsjahre in 29 Kindertagesstätten. Pro Betreuungsjahr traten im Mittel 4,9 Krankheitsphasen auf. Bei den Kindern unter drei Jahren waren es 7,9, bei den älteren Kindern 3,8. Die Zahl der entsprechenden Krankheitstage betrug 23, 39 und 17. Am häufigsten wurden Infektionen der oberen Atemwege diagnostiziert (46,0%); es folgten Diarrhoe (17,2%), Otitis media (12,9%), Augeninfektionen (4,0%), akute Tonsillitis (3,2%) und Bronchitis (3,0%). Die sechs häufigsten Diagnosen, die bei den Kindern gestellt wurden, betrafen ausschließlich Infektionen, machten 86% der Krankheitsphasen und 79% der Krankheitstage aus. Die zehn häufigsten Infektionskrankheiten verursachten 90,9% der Tage, in denen die Kinder fehlten, Operationen machten 1,8% und Verletzungen 0,8% aus. Bei Kindern unter drei Jahren waren enge Räume und kleine Kindertagesstätten, Fehlen einer voll mechanisierten Belüftung und Fehlen eigener Hygienebereiche mit einer erhöhten Inzidenz einer oder aller sechs der häufigsten Infektionen assoziiert. Bei Tagesstätten mit vielen Kindern und häuslicher Enge waren bei jüngeren wie bei älteren Kindern einzelne oder alle der häufigsten Infektionen mit hoher Inzidenz aufgetreten. Für passives Rauchen, Geschwisterzahl oder Familieneinkommen ergaben sich keine statistisch signifikanten Auswirkungen auf die Infektionshäufigkeit.

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Pönkä, A., Nurmi, T., Salminen, E. et al. Infections and other illnesses of children in day-care centers in Helsinki I: Incidences and effects of home and day-care center variables. Infection 19, 230–236 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01644951

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