Table 3 Descriptive characteristics of childcare variables for samples Bolivia DHS 2008, Colombia DHS 2010 and Peru DHS 2012

N (%)^a

Mean

SD

N (%)^a

Mean

SD

N (%)^a

Mean

SD

Childcare variables

Hand wash after using the toilet

Yes

N.A.

N.A.

4186 (66.9)

No

2073 (33.1)

Missing

1

Hand wash after changing diapers/cleaning baby

Yes

N.A.

10,559 (94.5)

1292 (20.6)

No

617 (5.5)

4967 (79.4)

Missing

1

Hand wash before preparing meals

Yes

N.A.

N.A.

4487 (71.7)

No

1772 (28.3)

Missing

1

Hand wash before serving food

Yes

N.A.

N.A.

1349 (21.6)

No

4910 (78.4)

Missing

1

Hand wash before eating

Yes

N.A.

N.A.

4578 (73.1)

No

1681 (26.9)

Missing

1

Hand wash before feeding child

Yes

N.A.

N.A.

1863 (29.8)

No

4396 (70.2)

Missing

1

Disposal of child stools

Safe

1293 (36.2)

5182 (48.7)

3287 (53.2)

Unsafe

2274 (63.8)

5454 (51.3)

2888 (46.8)

Missing

1

Take child to health facility if it doesn’t eat or drink

Yes

N.A.

N.A.

68 (1.1)

No

6191 (98.9)

Missing

1

Take child to health facility if becomes sicker

Yes

N.A.

N.A.

416 (6.6)

No

5843 (93.4)

Missing

1

Take child to health facility if diarrhoea/fever/vomits

Yes

N.A.

10,507 (94.0)

5837 (93.3)

No

669 (6.0)

422 (6.7)

Missing

3

Take child to health facility if it has short, rapid breaths

Yes

N.A.

1508 (13.5)

1096 (17.5)

No

9668 (86.5)

5163 (82.5)

Missing

3

1

Take child to health facility if it has cough/difficulty breathing

Yes

N.A.

3402 (30.4)

2677 (42.8)

No

7774 (69.6)

3582 (57.2)

Missing

3

1

Take child to health facility if it has blood in stools

Yes

N.A.

10,934 (97.8)

196 (2.5)

No

242 (2.2)

7615 (97.5)

Missing

3

Minimum acceptable diet 6–59 months^b

Yes

898 (59.2)

2619 (44.0)

2699 (76.8)

No

620 (40.8)

3340 (56.0)

833 (23.6)

Missing

2068

3996

2728

Complete immunization 0–59 months

Yes

2812 (78.6)

6480 (71.8)

3754 (67.4)

No

765 (21.4)

2547 (28.2)

1813 (32.6)

Missing

9

928

693