[Risk factors for diarrheal disease in infants: a case-control study].

This study aims to identify risk factors associated with episodes of diarrhea among infants under six months from the Southern Zona da Mata region in the State of Pernambuco, Brazil. This was a case-control study nested in a cohort. A total of 397 infants were studied, with 239 infants classified as cases and 158 as controls (1.5:1). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify predictive factors for the outcome, showing that lack of piped water in the house (OR = 3.60; 95% CI 1.49-8.74) and duration of breastfeeding less than six months (OR = 2.06; 95% CI 1.26-3.38) were the significant risk factors associated with occurrence of diarrhea, after adjusting for other variables.