Abstract: Objective To determine factors influencing rotavirus infection in children in Xi'an. Method Children 5 and under who were diagnosed with rotavirus infection in a hospital in Xi'an from July 2017 to June 2019 were randomly selected as a case group. The children without diarrhea who had physical examinations at the same hospital and the same period were selected as a control group. Two groups were matched by age at a 1∶1 ratio. A questionnaire survey was conducted among parents of two groups of children, including general information of the children and families, feeding habits of primary caregivers, history of rotavirus vaccination, bad habits （such as not washing hands, sucking fingers, etc.）, history of going out , history of contact with diarrhea patients, hygienic conditions （such as diet, toys）. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were applied to determine factors influencing rotavirus infection in children. Results This study included 300 parents of children 5 and under （0-59 months） with rotavirus infection in case group and 300 parents of children in control group. There were 168 boys and 132 girls in the case group, with an average age of （15.76 ± 7.52） months and average disease duration of （2.84 ± 2.35） days, ranging 2-7days. The control group had 160 boys and 140 girls, with an average age of （16.53 ± 8.16） months. There were no significant differences in gender composition and mean age between the two groups （P>0.05 for both）. Conditional logistic regression analysis showed that the primary caregivers' education levels were primary school and below （OR=3.330）, history of contact with diarrhea patients （OR=5.114）, bad habits （OR=3.347）, and unclean diet （OR=3.931） were risk factors for rotavirus infection in the children. The primary caregiver occupations being employees of enterprises and institutions （OR=0.154）, service workers （OR=0.168）, freelancers （OR=0.316）, history of rotavirus vaccination （OR=0.131）, good habits of washing hand （OR=0.204）, caregivers washing their hands before feeding （OR=0.401）, and tableware/milk utensils disinfection （OR=0.439） may reduce the risk of rotavirus infection in children 5 and under. Conclusion Low educational level of primary caregivers, history of contact with diarrhea patients, bad habits, and unclean diet are main risk factors for rotavirus infection in infants and young children. It is necessary to carry out easy-to-understand, Objective and direct propaganda and education for caregivers with low education level to improve their health awareness, avoid contacting with diarrhea patients, and cultivate good living habits, so as to reduce the incidence of rotavirus infection in the children.

Key words: Children, Rotavirus, Diarrhea, Influencing factors