Cited by 72Infection Control in HealthcareFood Safety and HygienePediatric health and respiratory diseases

Hand-washing and diapering equipment reduces disease among children in out-of-home child care centers

Kotch, Jonathan B., Isbell, Patricia, Weber, David J., Nguyen, Viet, Savage, Eric, Gunn, Elizabeth, Skinner, Martie, Fowlkes, Stephen +2 more·2007·PEDIATRICS

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine whether the installation of equipment for diaper-changing, hand-washing, and food preparation that is specifically designed to reduce the transmission of infectious agents would result in a decrease in the rate of diarrheal illness among children and their teachers in child care centers. METHODS: Twenty-three pairs of child care centers were matched on size and star-rated license level. One member of each pair was randomly assigned to an intervention group and the other to a control group. Intervention centers received new diaper-changing, hand-washing, and food-preparation equipment, and both intervention and control centers received hygiene and sanitation training with reinforcement and follow-up as needed. Families with children in participating classrooms were called biweekly to ascertain the frequency and severity of any diarrheal illness episodes. Staff attendance was monitored, and staff hygiene and sanitation behaviors were observed and recorded monthly. RESULTS: Although hygiene and sanitation behaviors improved in both intervention and control centers, there was a significant difference favoring the intervention centers with respect to frequency of diarrheal illness (0.90 vs 1.58 illnesses per 100 child-days in control centers) and proportion of days ill as a result of diarrhea (4.0% vs 5.0% in control centers) among the children. Staff in those same classrooms were reported to have a significantly lower proportion of days absent as a result of any illness (0.77% in treatment centers versus 1.73% in control centers). CONCLUSION: Diapering, hand-washing, and food-preparation equipment that is specifically designed to reduce the spread of infectious agents significantly reduced diarrheal illness among the children and absence as a result of illness among staff in out-of-home child care centers.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1542/peds.2005-0760

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29 of 29 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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Authors
Kotch, J. B., Isbell, P., Weber, D. J., Nguyen, V., Savage, E., Gunn, E., Skinner, M., Fowlkes, S., Virk, J., & Allen, J.
Affiliations
  • Departments of Maternal and Child Health
  • Epidemiology, School of Public Health
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
Venue
PEDIATRICS
Published
2007-07-01
Volume
120
Issue
1
Pages
e29-e36
ISSN
  • 0031-4005 (ISSN-L)
  • 1098-4275
OpenAlex
W1982429561
Cited by
71
References
29
Citations by year
2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 5
FWCI
2.31
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • PEDIATRICS (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (P30ES10126), P30ES010126)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Infection Control in Healthcare
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Food Safety and Hygiene
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Emergency Medical Services › Pediatric health and respiratory diseases
Keywords
diarrheal illness, daycare centers, food preparation equipment, infection control, absenteeism, infectious disease transmission, child health
MeSH terms
Child Day Care Centers, Child, Preschool, Communicable Disease Control, Diarrhea, Equipment and Supplies, Food Services, Hand Disinfection, Humans, Hygiene, Infant, Diapers, Infant

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