Factors associated with Diarrhea among Children under Five Years at Paediatric Ward Masaka Regional Referral Hospital in Masaka District. A Cross-sectional Study.

Abstract

Background: 

Diarrhea accounts for 9% of all child deaths worldwide, It is the leading cause of death among children under the age of five worldwide.

Methodology: 

The cross-sectional study was carried out on all caretakers of children under five years at Masaka regional referral hospital. The Questionnaire was used to collect data and was analyzed using a tally, the sample size of 62 respondents also was analyzed using frequency tables graphs, and pie charts.

 Results: 

The study revealed that only (38.7%) of the respondents defined diarrhea as the passing of watery stool 3 or more times a day, (61.3%) could not define diarrhea as WHO recommends, majority of 74.2% of the respondents had good knowledge of contaminated food/water as the cause of diarrhea in children under five years, 59.7% had good knowledge on general weakness, failure to feed, irritability, vomiting everything as the consideration to their children for treatment, 22.5% of the respondents had poor knowledge on treatment of diarrhea at home, 41.9% respondents had poor knowledge on what is needed to make ORS, 17.7% respondents had poor knowledge on how to prevent diarrhea in their children, 21% respondents poor attitude on exclusive breastfeeding.

Conclusion:

 mothers had poor knowledge of the definition of diarrhea but a good knowledge of the causes of diarrhea among children under five years and identify the danger signs.

Recommendation:

Therefore the study recommends the need for continuous health education of the caretakers on how to treat diarrhea at home, requirements to make ORS, how to prevent diarrhea in the children, and how to breastfeed the children when they get diarrhea.