Determinants of multimorbidity of infectious diseases among under-five children in Bangladesh: role of community context

Background The presence of more than one morbid condition among children has become a global public health concern. Studies carried out in Bangladesh have primarily focused on diarrhoea and acute respiratory tract infections independently without considering their co-occurrence effect. The present study examines the multimorbid conditions of infectious diseases in under-five Bangladeshi children. It explores multimorbidity determinants and the role of community context, which are often overlooked in previous literature. Methods Utilizing the most recent Demographic and Health Survey of Bangladesh (2017-18), we used mixed-effects random-intercept Poisson regression models to understand the determinants of multimorbidity of infectious diseases in under-five Bangladeshi children considering the community-level characteristics. Results The present study found that 28% of the children experienced multimorbidity two weeks prior to the survey. Community-level variability across all the statistical models was statistically significant at the 5% level. On average, the incidence rate of multimorbidity was 1.34 times higher among children from high-risk communities than children from low-risk communities. Moreover, children residing in rural areas and other urban areas involved 1.29 [CI: 1.11, 1.51] and 1.28 [CI: 1.11, 1.47] times greater risk of multimorbidity respectively compared to children from city corporations. Additionally, the multimorbidity incidence was 1.16 times [CI: 1.03, 1.30] higher among children from high-altitude communities than children living in low-altitude communities. Conclusion The significant effect of public handwashing places suggests community-based interventions among individuals to learn hygiene habits among themselves, thus, the severity of coexistence nature of infectious diseases. A higher incidence of coexistence of such infectious diseases in the poor and semi-urban populace further recommends a targeted awareness of a clean environment and primary healthcare programmes.