Household environmental and behavioural determinants of childhood diarrhoea morbidity in the Tamale Metropolitan Area (TMA), Ghana

Abstract

Diarrhoea is the second most important cause of morbidity and mortality in the Tamale Metropolitan Area of Ghana, after malaria. This study examined the relative roles of environmental and behavioural risk factors in transmitting diarrhea in children under 5 years. A stratified sample of residential areas of the metropolis was employed in order to examine disparities in the prevalence of childhood diarrhoea among households with differing socio-economic and environmental conditions. Logistic regression models were employed to examine the significance of several environmental and behavioural risk factors in causing childhood diarrhoea. There is significant association between childhood diarrhoea morbidity and toilet sharing (p < 0.01), depending on water from vendors (p < 0.01), storing water in pots (p = 0.02) and frequently consuming prepared foods from street vendors (p = 0.04). The results show the importance of behavioural risk factors in re-enforcing deficiencies in environmental services to determine childhood diarrhoea morbidity. The paper argues that behavioural changes, even within situations of inadequate water and sanitation services, can lead to substantial reductions in the incidence of childhood diarrhoea in the metropolis.