Joint binary response modelling for childhood comorbidity in Ethiopia

Childhood diarrhea and Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) are two diseases with similar risk factors in tropical developing regions. The objective of this study was to employ a joint binary response model and identify risk factors for childhood diarrhea and ARI in children under the age of five. A joint binary response model that takes into account the interdependence of the two diseases was used. Explanatory variables such as residence, vaccination, mother’s education, and antenatal care visits during pregnancy were found to be statistically significant risk factors for diarrhea in the joint model, whereas residence, the number of children ever born, vaccination, mother’s education, and wealth index were found to be statistically significant risk factors for childhood Acute Respiratory Infection. We discovered a common odds ratio value (4.30) greater than one, indicating a positive relationship between the two childhood diseases. As a result, using a joint model to assess the risk factors for diarrhea and acute respiratory infection (ARI) was reasonable. Furthermore, the standard errors of the parameter estimates in the joint response model were found to be smaller than the corresponding standard errors in the separate models. The risk factors such as residence, vaccination, and mother’s education all had a significant effect on the two correlated dichotomous response variables, diarrhea and ARI.