Factors associated with hand foot mouth disease among children in day care center, Chiang Rai, Thailand

This is a community-based case control study that aimed to identify the factors associated with hand foot mouth disease (HFMD) among children under 6 years old in 40 day care centers (DCCs) in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. A total of 380 subjects were randomly recruited (115 cases and 265 controls). Data were analyzed using the logistic regression model at alpha = 0.05 to identify the association between variables. The results revealed that the children who stay in a poorly ventilated DCCs had a greater chance of HFMD infection than those who lived in well ventilated DCCs (OR adj = 3.11, 95%CI = 1.32-7.32). The children who lived in DCCs that did not provide a soap in toilet had a greater chance of HFMD infection than those who lived in DCCs that provide a soap in toilet (OR adj = 2.84, 95%CI = 1.33-6.07). The children who did not wash their hands before and after using the toilet had a greater risk for HFMD infection than those who usually wash their hands before and after using the toilet (OR adj = 3.74, 95%CI = 1.61-8.70). Improving environmental sanitation of a DCC is significant for prevention and control of HFMD infection in children.