Diarrhea deaths in children among countries with different levels of the human development index

Abstract

The present study investigated the effect of human development index (HDI) on diarrheal deaths per 1000 live births in children under 5 years old in 2015. In addition, the association between HDI, and the use of improved drinking-water sources and sanitation facilities were evaluated in this year. 75 countries that their information was available in Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water (GLAAS) conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) were included in this study. The data required was obtained from WHO and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) websites. Pearson's correlation coefficient and linear regression were used to evaluate the correlation and association between the variables, respectively. The results showed that there is a significant relationship between HDI and diarrhea-associated deaths per 1000 live births in children during 2015 (B = −354.85, CI95%: −408.91, −300.79). In addition, HDI was associated with the use of improved drinking-water sources (B = 83.93, CI95%: 64.71, 103.15) and improved sanitation facilities (B = 199.90, CI95%: 174.39, 225.42) in 2015. These findings indicate the association between HDI and the measures relevant to diarrheal disease among children. Therefore, in order to achieve to the Millennium Development Goals regarding child health, policymakers should concentrate on environmental and social factors affecting health. Keywords: Diarrhea, Drinking water, Sanitation, Human development index