The Question

How do hygiene routines and characteristics of daycare centres (DCC) in Sweden affect sickness absence in preschool children?

What we found

Only about 10% of the DCC had written rules about hand washing in children but almost all had unwritten rules. Using a multiple logistic regression model, the study finds that daycare centres with more than 50 children and no regular contact with the child health centres are of significant importance for sickness absence.

Why it matters

Approximately 17%30% of the respiratory tract infections in preschool children are due to daycare stay outside of the home. Factors of importance for sickness absence in DCC have been studied earlier but no study has had a broader focus on routines and daycare characteristics at the same time.