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

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.