Prospective study to assess maternal knowledge, attitude and practices regarding childhood diarrhoea

Abstract

Background: Diarrhoea is one of the major and most frequently encounter problem by the paediatrician. Diarrhoeal disease is the second leading cause of death n children under 5 yrs and is responsible for killing around 5,25,000 children every year. In low income counties, children under three years old, experience on an average three episodes of diarrhoea every year. Each episode deprives the child of the nutrition necessary for growth. Current study was conducted to assess maternal knowledge, attitude over practice regarding diarrhoeal disease.Methods: The present study is a prospective study, carried out at department of paediatrics, at Sri Guru Ram Das University of Medical Sciences and Research Amritsar from Jan 2016—Jan 2018 over period of 2 years. Total 25-0 mothers were intervened to assess their knowledge, attitude and practices during episodes of diarrhoea on basis of educational qualification of mothers, data were divided into three categories: Illiterate, moderately educated including mothers having qualification up to graduation, highly educated-mothers who did post-graduation or some professional education.Results: Total 250 mothers were included in the study with prior informed consent and question were asked as per preformed questionnaire and vernacular language and English too. In present study, it was observed that maximum number of diarrhoea causes 77.76% were seen in first year of life and there was higher incidence (74.4%) among male children. Incidence of diarrhoea was 67.6% among children of illiterate mother in contrast to 12% among a mother of having higher qualification.Conclusions: Finding of present study indicated low proportion of maternal knowledge and practice about etiologies and management of diarrhoeal disease among children under 5 years of age. Programme should focus on provided awareness to patients and education of mother should focus on symptoms of dehydration, knowledge on ORS, hoe to prepare an ORS, prevention on danger sign and diseases. rural population.