Risk Factors and Case Management of Acute Diarrhoea in North Gondar Zone, Ethiopia

R Bradley Sack,Sisay Yifru,Rishi P Mediratta,Lawrence H Moulton,Amsalu Feleke

doi:10.3329/jhpn.v28i3.5552

Abstract

In Ethiopia, evidence is lacking about maternal care-taking and environmental risk factors that contribute to acute diarrhoea and the case management of diarrhoea. The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors and to understand the management of acute diarrhoea. A pretested structured questionnaire was used for interviewing mothers of 440 children in a prospective, matched, case-control study at the University of Gondar Referral and Teaching Hospital in Gondar, Ethiopia. Results of multivariate analysis demonstrated that children who were breastfed and not completely weaned and mothers who were farmers were protective factors; risk factors for diarrhoea included sharing drinking-water and introducing supplemental foods. Children presented with acute diarrhoea for 3.9 days with 4.3 stools per day. Mothers usually did not increase breastmilk and other fluids during diarrhoea episodes and generally did not take children with diarrhoea to traditional healers. Incorporating messages about the prevention and treatment of acute diarrhoea into child-health interventions will help reduce morbidity and mortality associated with this disease.

Highlights

Diarrhoeal disease remains one of the principal causes of morbidity and mortality in children
Our study collected a range of exposure variables for acute diarrhoea in a developing country, which allowed for assessing the relative contribution of each exposure variable in the development of acute diarrhoea
The results from the case management of acute diarrhoea underscored how vomiting during diarrhoea episodes is linked to the withholding of fluid by mothers

Summary

Introduction

Diarrhoeal disease remains one of the principal causes of morbidity and mortality in children. Epidemiological studies have been conducted to identify the risk factors that contribute to the incidence of diarrhoeal disease in developing countries; to our knowledge, this is the first study in Ethiopia that investigated the environmental and maternal caretaking variables of acute diarrhoea and the management of the illness. Both environmental and maternal caretaking variables are key implementation priorities that are likely to contribute to reduction of mortality due to diarrhoeal disease [3]. The low use-rates of ORT and inadequate knowledge of the preparation of oral rehydration solution (ORS) represent areas of concern regarding the management of acute diarrhoea, in Ethiopia

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Conclusion