Mother’s Perception Toward Childhood Diarrhea

Abstract

Background: Diarrheal disease is considered as the second most common cause of death among under-5 children globally. Objective: The aim of this article is to determine mothers’ knowledge and practices regarding diarrhea causes and principles of management. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 mothers of under-5 children who attended the pediatric outpatient department for diarrhea. The correlation between mothers’ age and level of education with their knowledge regarding signs of dehydration and their awareness of the use of oral rehydration solution (ORS) and management of diarrhea was done. The χ2 test was used, and a P-value of 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Nearly half (45%) of the mothers believed intestinal infection caused that diarrhea, whereas (37.5%) blamed the teething process. Mothers rated the severity of diarrhea as increased frequency (70%), change in consistency (62.5%), foul smell stool (13.5%), and change in stool color (7%). The study showed that 45% of the mothers did not know any sign of dehydration and indicated poor mothers’ adherence to ORS use (4%), despite their awareness of ORS (66.5%). The study showed a significant correlation between mothers’ education and initial management of diarrhea at home (P <0.05), but not with their awareness of ORS or their knowledge about signs of dehydration. There was no significant relation between mothers’ age and their awareness of ORS, their knowledge regarding the signs of dehydration, and their initial action to manage diarrhea at home. Conclusion: Most respondents lack satisfactory knowledge of diarrheal diseases. Therefore, mothers need health education to create a better attitude toward the prevention and management of diarrheal diseases.