Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41239540›Full record

ArticleTropical medicine and health2025

Healthcare-seeking behaviors of individuals with diarrhea in Southwest China: a cross-sectional survey.

Lin Yang, Yi Yuan, Jiang Long, Jule Yang, Zhijin Li, Li Qi

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Tropical medicine and health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Lin Yang *Chongqing Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention(Chongqing Municipal Academy of Preventive Medicine), Chongqing Disease Prevention and Public Health Research Center Construction Program, Chongqing, 400707, China.
Yi Yuan *Chongqing Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention(Chongqing Municipal Academy of Preventive Medicine), Chongqing Disease Prevention and Public Health Research Center Construction Program, Chongqing, 400707, China.
Jiang LongChongqing Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention(Chongqing Municipal Academy of Preventive Medicine), Chongqing Disease Prevention and Public Health Research Center Construction Program, Chongqing, 400707, China. 68803648@163.com.
Jule YangChongqing Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention(Chongqing Municipal Academy of Preventive Medicine), Chongqing Disease Prevention and Public Health Research Center Construction Program, Chongqing, 400707, China.
Zhijin LiChongqing Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention(Chongqing Municipal Academy of Preventive Medicine), Chongqing Disease Prevention and Public Health Research Center Construction Program, Chongqing, 400707, China.
Li QiChongqing Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention(Chongqing Municipal Academy of Preventive Medicine), Chongqing Disease Prevention and Public Health Research Center Construction Program, Chongqing, 400707, China. qili19812012@126.com.

Funding

China Preventive Medicine Association CPMA2024CRBFKChongqing Municipal Science and Technology Bureau CSTC2024ycjh-bgzxm0224
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDiarrhea is a common cause of morbidity and mortality, and its incidence worldwide has changed little over the past four decades. Therefore, to estimate the disease burden of diarrhea, this study aimed to assess the prevalence, risk factor, and determinants of health-seeking behavior in people with diarrhea in Chongqing.

methodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in Chongqing, China, between May and June 2024. An online questionnaire was used to survey respondents' demographic information, experience of diarrhea symptoms, and treatment-seeking behaviors in the past 6 months (from October 2023 to April 2024). Descriptive statistics, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to summarize the data and identify the possible determinants of medical treatment-seeking behaviors.

resultsAmong 27,150 respondents, 7.98% were young children (≤ 5 years). Diarrhea prevalence was 25.38% overall, and higher among children ≤ 5 years (29.5%) and adults ≥ 60 years (26.7%). Only 23.23% (1601/6891) of diarrhea cases sought medical care, primarily due to perceived mild severity or treatment unnecessary. Higher odds of healthcare-seeking behaviors were observed in children aged ≤ 5 years, rural residents, and those with higher household incomes (particularly ≥ 12,000 yuan). Proximity to primary healthcare facilities (< 1 km), poorer self-rated health, fewer diarrhea episodes, more severe symptoms, longer duration of illness (especially ≥ 7 days), and greater perceived impact of diarrhea were also positively associated with healthcare-seeking behaviors. The main reasons individuals with diarrhea did not seek medical care were that they felt their condition was not serious and that a visit to a medical facility was unnecessary (71.40%).

conclusionDiarrhea is highly prevalent in Chongqing, especially among young children and the elderly, coupled with a low rate of medical seeking. The findings underscore the influence of socioeconomic, geographic, clinical severity, and perceptual factors on healthcare-seeking behavior. Targeted interventions should focus on high-risk groups and improving accessibility and awareness to encourage appropriate care for diarrhea.

Indexed as

ChildrenDiarrheaDistance to health facilitiesHealthcare-seeking behaviorsRural areaSouthwest China

Identifiers

PMID41239540
PMCPMC12619331

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.