Fecal Coliforms and the Risk of Diarrhea in Child Care Centers

摘要

The study had two objectives: (1) to document the magnitude and location of fecal contamination in day care centers; and (2) to demonstrate that greater fecal contamination of the day care environment and of the hands of day care workers and attendees is associated with higher rates of diarrhea. Twenty-five day care centers were sampled 3 times between January and August 1991. In addition, within the centers, families with children less than 24 months of age were recruited for telephone survey. Investigators found that of 11 sites initially surveyed, child hands, staff hands, hard toys, and classroom sinks were most frequently contaminated. Because illness rates are associated with contamination, the study results indicate that fecal contamination could be used as a measure of the risk of diarrheal disease or as an indicator of compliance with sanitary guidelines or of the success of day care worker training.