Table 3
Comparison of potential background risk factors for disease severity among individual diseases (n = 483)
Risk factor for disease severity AOR AOR AOR AOR
(All cases) (Malaria cases) (Pneumonia cases) (Diarrhoea cases)
Caretaker’s Education
No formal education 6.6 (2.7-15.8)* 1.8 (0.7-4.7) 3.5 (0.6-21.4)
Primary education 2.0 (1.0-4.0)* § 1.7 (0.7-3.9) 2.2 (0.4-10.6)
Post-primary education ref ref ref
Caretaker’s SES
Low 1.5 (0.9-2.6) 1.2 (0.4-3.7) 1.8 (0.9-3.8) 1.7 (0.6-4.8)
Middle 1.9 (1.2-3.2)* 1.0 (0.4-2.8) 2.2 (1.1-4.2)* 1.2 (0.4-3.5)
High ref ref ref ref
No. of own alive children
1 child ref ref ref ref
2-3 children 1.7 (1.1-2.7)* 3.2 (1.0-10.4)* 0.7 (0.4-1.4) 2.0 (0.8-4.9)
4 or more children 2.5 (1.4-4.5)* 8.5 (2.3-30.6)* 1.5 (0.6-3.3) 1.1 (0.4-3.2)
Home-hospital travel time
0-59 min ref ref ref ref
60-119 min 1.4 (0.9-2.3) 0.4 (0.1-1.5) 1.5 (0.8-2.7) 2.1 (0.7-6.2)
120+ min 2.1 (1.3-3.4)* 0.9 (0.3-2.9) 1.6 (0.9-3.1) 3.9 (1.4-10.9)*
First Rx PCM alone for 24 hrs or more
No 1.8 (1.2-2.7)* 0.9 (0.4-2.2) 1.8 (1.1-3.3)* 1.7 (0.7-4.4)
Yes ref ref ref ref
Source of first Rx other than PCM
Home/local or drug shop 3.2 (1.9-5.2)* 2.4 (1.3-4.5)* 1.2 (0.5-2.8)
Private hospital 1.9 (0.8-4.8) § 1.7 (0.5-5.5) 0.3 (0.1-1.5)
Public hospital ref ref ref
Use of nearer PHC facility
No ref ref ref ref
Yes 5.2 (3.0-9.1)* 4.2 (1.7-10.5)* 5.2 (2.3-11.9)* 4.4 (1.2-15.8)*

AOR- Adjusted for child’s Age and Sex, and Caretakers Education and socio-economic status (SES).

§ - Numbers too small to enable any comparison across groups.

* - significant findings.

PCM = paracetamol. Rx = treatment. PHC = primary health care.

Kahabuka et al. BMC Infectious Diseases 2012 12:219   doi:10.1186/1471-2334-12-219

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