Prevalance of Diarrheal Disease and Risk Factors in Mid-Western Part of Nepal

Abstract

A descriptive cross-sectional research design was conducted in the agricultural community of Bardia, Banke, Surkhet and other districts of mid-western Nepal. A total of 310 residents of mid-western Nepal who had experienced diarrhea, of all age groups, were selected by using probability random sampling. Residents or resident family members were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire to collect qualitative and quantitative data Simple descriptive statistics were taken from the data collected from the questionnaire for statistical analysis and comparison. Out of 310 diarrhoeagenic patients exhibits the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents, slightly over half (52.6%) reported as illiterate .16.4% reporting as a farmer and 18.1% reporting as a housewife. The significance test of the prevalence of risk factors for diarrhea. It is expected that all four categories of risk factors for diarrhea are equally responsible for causing diarrhea in the study area.so it is required to examine whether it is valid or not on the basis of sample data. The chi-square test of goodness of fit is used for multinomial distribution of the risk factors. The test results reject (χ2 = 148.471), df =3 and P < 0.001 that the risk factors equally contribute to diarrhea at 5% level. Knowledge and practice seem to be the biggest factor (53.5%) followed by education (23.9%). Malnutrition (2.9%) and flood (9.7%) in causing diarrhea among the given factors. It exhibits the significance test of the prevalence of risk factors of diarrhea in children It is expected that all four categories of the risk factors of diarrhea and children are equally responsible for causing diarrhea in the study areas, so it is required to examine whether it is valid or not on the basis of sample data. chi-square test of goodness of fit is used for multinomial distribution of the risk factors The test results reject( χ2= 65.175), df=3 and p< 0.001 that the risk factors equally contribute to diarrhea at a 5% level. Malnutrition seems most prevalent (43.9%), followed by a shortage of breastfeeding (24.5%), Lack of education of mother towards the disease (16.1%) and vitamin A deficiency (15.5%) prevalent in causing diarrhea in children among the risk factors given. The presence of these risk factors should alert the epidemiologist and clinician to take appropriate measures to decrease the prevalence of diarrheal disease. Proper nutritional support, vitamin A supplementation and diligent search for secondary infection and its treatment is of utmost importance in management. There is still a need to acknowledge the mothers of children having 5 years of old and providing the information regarding diarrheal outbreaks and manage the risk factors of diarrhea to midwestern part of Nepalese as per the national standards to meet the sustainable goal.