Care-seeking pattern for diarrhea among children under 36 months old in rural western China.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the caretakers' care-seeking pattern and its determinants among children under 36 months old with diarrhea in rural western China. METHODS: The data of 14112 households was collected in 45 counties of 10 provinces of western China from June to August 2005. A generalized estimated equation (GEE) linear model was used to identify the determinants of the care-seeking. RESULTS: Village-level and township-level care were sought for childhood diarrhea by 67.02% of the caretakers. GEE model analysis shows that compared with the caretakers of the children delivered at county-level or above hospitals, those of the children delivered at home seldom sought a higher level care (-0.23, 95%CI: -0.45,-0.01, p = 0.040); that the age of the children was negatively associated with seeking a higher level care (12 vs 36 months: 0.35, 95%CI: 0.16,0.55, p