Abstract
Introductiondiarrhoea remains a public health problem globally with majority of diarrhoea morbidity and mortality occurring in low resource settings. This study assessed the prevalence of diarrhoea and factors associated with diarrhoea in a rural community in Enugu, South East Nigeria.Methodsa community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted between May and June, 2017. Information on socio-demographic characteristics, water, sanitation, hand washing practices and diarrhoea history was obtained from 534 community residents using a structured interviewer administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square and logistic regression tests at 5% level of significance.Resultsprevalence of diarrhoea in the two weeks preceding the study was 7.47% and 10.77% among all ages and children younger than five years respectively. Of 469 residents aged five years and above, 206 (43.92%) accessed source of drinking water within 30 minutes round trip walking distance from their households, 275 (58.64%) practiced open defecation while 456 (97.23%) and 455 (97.01%) reported washing hands with soap or ash and water before eating and after using the toilet respectively. Two or more households sharing a toilet facility [AOR = 4.78 (95% CI 2.03-11.24)] was a risk factor for diarrhoea while washing hands with soap or ash and water before eating [AOR = 0.23 (95% CI 0.06-0.90)] and after using the toilet [0.16 (95% CI 0.04-0.55)] protected against diarrhoea.Conclusionincreasing access to improved sanitary sewage disposal methods and promoting hand washing with soap and water at critical moments would improve diarrhoeal disease control.
Highlights
Diarrhoea remains a public health problem globally despite efforts towards its control
The overall prevalence of diarrhoea observed in this study was lower than the diarrhoea prevalence rates of between 8.0% and 21.0% reported among the general population from some sub-Saharan African countries [11] but similar to the prevalence rates of between 6.4% and 7.6% reported from some developed countries [12]
Interventions aimed at increasing access to improved sanitary methods for sewage disposal and ensuring residents of rural communities practice hand washing with soap and water at critical moments would help reduce diarrhoeal disease
Summary
Diarrhoea remains a public health problem globally despite efforts towards its control. There have been significant reduction in morbidity and mortality due to diarrhoea in all ages including children younger than five years of age [2,3,4], 58% of diarrhoeal deaths still occur in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) due to inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene [5, 6]. In sub-Saharan Africa, there are over one billion diarrhoeal episodes and an estimated 606,024 diarrhoeal deaths annually with nearly half of the deaths occurring in children younger than five years. In Nigeria, there are an estimated 151,700 annual child deaths due to diarrhoea [8] with the prevalence of diarrhoea ranging between 10% and 18.8% [8, 9] and 80,968 deaths due to unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene [6] making Nigeria one of the leading contributors to diarrhoeal morbidity and mortality worldwide
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