A study on selected behavioral factors of mothers influencing acute diarrhoea in under- five children in a rural part of Kerala, India

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Globally, diarrhea accounts for 2 million deaths per year. Health is affected by environmental conditions and economic status. The public health importance of some practices like hand washing and food hygiene are important in reduction of diarrhea. Socioeconomic factors may directly or indirectly affect environmental, behavioral and nutritional risk factors. The prevalence of hand washing practice in Kerala was found to be 35%. 1 Low socioeconomic status, scarcity of potable water, behavioural factors such as unhygienic practices, inadequate sanitation, faulty feeding practices, all may cause diarrhoea in children. 2,3 According to WHO 2012 data, diarrhoeal disease alone amounts to an estimated 3.6 % of the total DALY global burden of disease and is responsible for the deaths of 1.5 million people every year. It is estimated that 58% of that burden, or 842 000 deaths per year, is attributable to unsafe water supply, sanitation and hygiene and includes ABSTRACT Background: Diarrhoea remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality among underfive children. Globally it accounts for 2 million deaths per year. Diarrhoea is the third most common cause of death in underfive children, responsible for 13% deaths in India each year. Behaviour can also depend upon the socioeconomic status. Socioeconomic factors affect environmental, behavioral and nutritional risk factors. Proper nutrition, especially exclusive breast feeding is one of the most important interventions for its control .Inadequate personal hygiene along with other environmental factors are responsible for 90% of diarrhea. The objective is to assess behavioral factors of mothers influencing diarrhoea in underfive children. Methods: Community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in a rural area among 103 mothers of underfive children with acute diarrhoea in the past six months. Results: Most mothers were in the higher income 80 (77.6%) group. Those who practised handwashing after toilet and before cooking was 96 (93.2%). Proportion of mothers using boiled water for drinking was 99(96.1%); bottle feeding 77(74.8%); and practised sanitary waste disposal methods 93(90.3%). The practice of using boiled water was statistically significant among higher income group (P =0.047). Occupation of the mother was significantly associated with the habit of child's eatingout (P=0.019). Conclusions: This study shows that the practice of handwashing and use of boiled water for drinking was lower among lower socioeconomic families. This warrants need to create awareness about it among low socioeconomic families in rural areas.

Safe Reopening of Schools during COVID-19: An Evaluation of Handwash Facilities and Students’ Hand Hygiene Knowledge and Practices

“…Students whose parents had attained a tertiary education were more likely to possess a good knowledge of hand hygiene compared to those whose parents had either no education, primary education, or secondary education. The positive impact of the parent's level of education has also been reported in several other studies (Divya et al, 2016;Ekeleme et al, 2018;Rima et al, 2017;Venkatashiva et al, 2017). The younger respondent (12 to 16 years) had a higher level of knowledge compared to the older students (17 to 21 years).…”

Sanitation and Diarrheal Morbidity: Evidence from Afghanistan

“…Around 800,000 children die yearly due to conditions resulting from the lack of sanitation facilities cured 15 . Diarrhea has become one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among children 17 . Though the diseases have attributed to many factors, some closely associated reasons are inadequate water and lack of sanitation facilities 18 .…”

Sanitation and Diarrheal Morbidity: Evidence from Afghanistan

“…Around 800,000 children die yearly due to conditions resulting through lack of sanitation facilities which can be cured [15]. Diarrhea has become one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among children [17]. Though the diseases have attributed to many factors but some closely associated reasons are inadequate water and lack of access to sanitation facilities [18].…”