Table 5 Socio-demographic characteristic, clinical variables and associated factors of under-five children with diarrhea at Bule Hora University teaching Hospital, Bule Hora, Ethiopia, 2023

Age groups in years

 6–12 months

92 (25.2)

10 (24.4%)

82 (25.3%)

0.77 (.34, 1.72)

0.528

 13–36 months

154 (42.2)

21 (51.2%)

133 (41.0%)

1.32 (.52, 3.34)

0.545

 37–59 months

119 (32.6)

10 (24.4%)

109 (33.6%)

1

Sex

 Male

196 (53.7)

27 (65.9%)

169 (52.2%)

1.76(.89, 3.49)

0.101⁺

1.3 (0.57, 3.3)

0.476

 Female

169 (46.3)

14 (34.1%)

155 (47.8%)

1

1

Residents

 Urban

186 (51.0)

17 (41.5%)

169 (52.2%)

1

1

 Rural

179 (49.0)

24 (58.5%)

155 (47.8%)

1.53 (.79, 2.97)

0.199⁺

0.72 (0.24, 2.13)

0.552

Education Level of the parent/caregivers

 Unable to read and write

31 (8.5)

6 (14.6%)

25 (7.7%)

4.14 (1.0, 17.35)

0.038⁺

0.7 (0.13, 3.6)

0.672

 Read & write

67 (18.4)

11 (26.8%)

56 (17.3%)

3.38 (0.72, 12.7)

0.046⁺

1.13 (.214, 6.0)

0.880

 Elementary

76 (20.8)

7 (17.1%)

69 (21.3%)

1.22 (0.4, 3.67)

0.389

 High school

118 (32.3)

13 (31.7%)

105 (32.4%)

2.13 (0.72, 7.8)

0.20⁺

1.16 (0.16, 8.1)

0.878

 College & above

73 (20.0)

4 (9.8%)

69 (21.3%)

1

1

Occupation status

 Student

11 (3.0)

2 (4.9%)

9 (2.8%)

3.0 (.44, 20.9)

0.26

 Housewife

222 (60.8)

25 (61.0%)

197 (60.8%)

1.5 (.29, 8.16)

0.386

 Daily Labor

88 (24.1)

11 (26.8%)

77 (23.8%)

1.75 (.35, 8.56)

0.325

 Employee

44 (12.1)

3 (7.3%)

41 (12.7%)

1

Marital Status

 Single

6 (1.6)

1 (2.4%)

5 (1.5%)

1.1 (.079, 15.5)

0.938

 Married

326 (89.3)

38 (92.7%)

288 (88.9%)

1.7 (.35, 8.0)

0.515

 Divorced

22 (6.0)

0 (0.0%)

22 (6.8%)

-

-

 Widow

11 (3.0)

2 (4.9%)

9 (2.8%)

1

Monthly income

 < 4500 ETB

133 (36.4)

15 (65.2%)

118 (53.9%)

0.6 (0.18, 2.39)

0.523

 4501–7500 ETB

70 (19.2)

5 (21.7%)

65 (29.7%)

1.0 (0.24, 4.8)

0.916

 > 7501 ETB

39 (10.7)

3 (13.0%)

36 (16.4%)

1

The onset of diarrhea (days):

 < 3 days

189 (51.8)

20 (48.8%)

169 (52.2%)

1

 4–7 day

144 (39.5)

17 (41.5%)

127 (39.2%)

0.884 (.44, 1.75)

0.725

 > 8 days

32 (8.8)

4 (9.8%)

28 (8.6%)

0.82 (0.26, 2.60)

0.747

Type of diarrhea

 Watery

129 (35.3)

18 (43.9%)

111 (34.3%)

1.0 (0.43, 2.43)

0.950

 Bloody

74 (20.3)

7 (17.1%)

67 (20.7%)

1.59 (0.56, 4.56)

0.384

 Mucoid

99 (27.1)

7 (17.1%)

92 (28.4%)

2.19 (0.77, 6.22)

0.141⁺

2.3 (0.58, 8.9)

0.234

 Mixed

63 (17.3)

9 (22.0%)

54 (16.7%)

1

1

Presence of vomiting

 Yes

143 (39.2)

20 (48.8%)

123 (38.0%)

1.55 (0.81, 2.98)

0.184⁺

2.3 (1.15, 5.6)

0.049⁺⁺

 No

222 (60.8)

21 (51.2%)

201 (62.0%)

1

1

Presence of Fever

 Yes

291 (79.7)

35 (85.4%)

256 (79.0%)

1.54 (0.62, 3.8)

0.344

 No

74 (20.3)

6 (14.6%)

68 (21.0%)

1

Previous history of diarrheal patient contacts

 Yes

134 (36.7)

26 (63.4%)

108 (33.3%)

3.46 (1.76, 6.81)

 < 0.001⁺

3.38 (1.4, 7.7)

0.005⁺⁺

 No

231 (63.3)

15 (36.6%)

216(66.7%)

1

1

Availability of a latrine

 Yes

309 (84.7)

32 (78.0%)

277 (85.5%)

1

1

 No

56 (15.3)

9 (22.0%)

47 (14.5%)

1.65 (0.74, 3.7)

0.217⁺

0.8 (0.24,3.1)

0.838

Type of latrine

 Improved

63 (17.3)

5 (15.6%)

58 (20.9%)

1

 Unimproved

246 (67.4)

27 (84.4%)

219 (79.1%)

1.43 (0.52,3.87)

0.482

Hand washing status after defecating the child

 Yes

218 (59.7)

24 (58.5%)

194 (59.9%)

1

 No

147 (40.3)

17 (41.5%)

130 (40.1%)

1.0 (0.54, 2.04)

0.869

Hand wash with water/soap

 Water only

131 (35.9)

16 (66.7%)

115 (59.3%)

1

 With water and soap

87 (23.8)

8 (33.3%)

79 (40.7%)

1.37 (0.56, 3.36)

0.487

Hand wash before feeding the child

 Yes

347 (95.1)

37 (90.2%)

310 (95.7%)

1

1

 No

18 (4.9)

4 (9.8%)

14 (4.3%)

2.39 (.749, 7.65)

0.141⁺

1.8 (0.32, 9.8)

0.503

Child’s hands washing before and after having a meal

 Yes

295 (80.8)

35 (85.4%)

260 (80.2%)

1

 No

70 (19.2)

6 (14.6%)

64 (19.8%)

1.43 (.57, 3.56)

0.435

Child’s Hand wash with water/soap

 Water only

134 (36.7)

22 (62.9%)

112 (43.1%)

2.23 (1.08, 4.63)

0.030⁺

1.8 (0.76, 4.1)

0.179

 With water and soap

161 (44.1)

13 (37.1%)

148 (56.9%)

1

1

Caregivers hand washing facilities after visiting the toilet

 Yes

186 (51.0)

14 (34.1%)

172(53.1%)

1

1

 No

179 (49.0)

27 (65.9%)

152 (46.9%)

2.18 (1.1, 4.31)

0.025⁺

1.3 (0.5, 3.2)

0.561

Finger nail status of child

 Trimmed

210 (57.5)

9 (22.0%)

201 (62.0%)

1

1

 Untrimmed

155 (42.5)

32 (78.0%)

123 (38.0%)

5.8 (2.68, 12.58)

 < 0.001⁺

5.2 (2.1, 12.8)

0.003⁺⁺

Type of Food, child’s taken before illness

 Cooked food

35 (9.6)

4 (9.8%)

31 (9.6%)

1

 Overnight food

100 (27.4)

16 (39.0%)

84 (25.9%)

0.67 (0.21, 2.2)

0.514

 Raw vegetable and fruits

114 (31.2)

14 (34.1%)

100 (30.9%)

0.9 (0.28, 3)

0.892

 Raw milk

116 (31.8)

7 (17.1%)

109 (33.6%)

2 (0.5, 7.3)

0.290

The habit of storing cooked food for later use

 Open container

105 (28.8)

28 (68.3%)

77 (23.8%)

6.9 (3.41, 13.9)

 < 0.001⁺

6.5 (2.8, 15.1)

 < 0.001⁺⁺

 Closed container

260 (71.2)

13 (31.7%)

247 (76.2)

1

1

Sources of drinking water

 River

41 (11.2)

10 (24.4%)

31 (9.6%)

4.0 (1.6, 9.1)

0.001⁺

3.8 (1.2, 12.0)

0.020⁺⁺

 Well

42 (11.5)

10 (24.4%)

32 (9.9%)

3.8 (1.62, 8.82)

0.002⁺

3.2 (1.2, 8.6)

0.020⁺⁺

 Tap water

282 (77.3)

21 (51.2%)

261 (80.6%)

1

1

Childs contact with domestic Animals

 Yes

197 (54)

23 (56.1%)

174 (53.7%)

1.1(.57, 2.12)

0.772

 No

168 (46)

18 (43.9%)

150 (46.3%)

1