The Effects of Poverty on theFrequency of llness in Children Aged 1-4 Years

Objective: this research was made as a descriptive study for the purpose of examining the effects of poverty on the frequency of illness in children aged 1-4 years. method: the research population was comprised of children aged 1-4 who lived in yeşilyurt subdivision, which has the lowest socioeconomic level in muş province, and in kültür-2 subdivision, which has the highest socioeconomic level. the research sample was comprised of a total of 260 children who were chosen by using a formula that assumed that there would be a difference of 30% based on frequency of becoming ill between the high and low socioeconomic level subdivisions. survey form was completed in face to face interviews with the mothers of 1-4 year old children during home visits. data were evaluated on the computer. number, percentage and chi square test were used in the analysis of the data. results: it was determined that 16.9% of the children in the yeşilyurt subdivision had ear infections three times a year, 20.9% had diarrhea-vomiting five or more times a year, and 19.5% had urinary tract infection five or more times a year; 89.3% of the children in the kültür-2 subdivision had ear infections once a year, 62.9% had diarrhea-vomiting once or twice a year and 90.0% had urinary tract infection once or twice a year (p<0.05). conclusion: as it has been confirmed that the children living in low socio-economic neighbourhoods get sick more and more often, it is recommended that midwife/nurses ought to determine particularly the children living in low socio-economic regions and follow them quite often.