Prevalence and determinants of diarrhea among under-five children in five Southeast Asian countries: Evidence from the demographic health survey

Abstract

PurposeTo describe the prevalence and the correlation between individual, environmental and household, health behavior, and source of information factors with diarrhea among under-five children in five Southeast Asian countries based on the National Health Survey. Design and methodsCross-sectional design conducted in five countries in Southeast Asia. Datasets from Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys in five countries were analyzed. ResultsA total of 12,447 children under 5 years of age from five countries in Southeast Asia (Indonesia 1807, Cambodia 2650, Myanmar 1717, the Philippines 3669, and Timor-Leste 2614) were included in this study. Binary logistic regression was performed to analyze the data. A total of 12,447 under-five children were included in the study. Overall, in five Southeast Asian countries, the prevalence of diarrhea is known from 8.39% in the Philippines to 18.21% in Indonesia. Several factors related to diarrhea are individual; environmental and household; health behavior such as stool disposal, breastfeeding mothers, and children's food history; and source of information factors. ConclusionThe findings of this study indicate that diarrhea is a serious public health problem in the Southeast Asian region that must be addressed using preventive and curative approaches. Practice implicationThe results indicate the need for cross-collaboration among nurses, medical doctor, and sanitarian is needed to tackle the childhood diarrhea and minimize the severity based on those determinants.