article · BMC Infectious Diseases
A community-based study in Debre Berhan town, Ethiopia, examined the prevalence and risk factors of diarrhoea among children under five years of age. Drawing on survey data from parent and child pairs, the investigation identified a two-week diarrhoea prevalence of 16.4 per cent. Several distinct factors significantly increased the likelihood of illness. Children aged between seven and eleven months, second-born children, and those fed by hand experienced notably higher rates of diarrhoea. Lack of immunisation emerged as the strongest risk factor, with children not vaccinated against rotavirus facing over ten times the odds of developing the condition compared to vaccinated peers. The findings emphasise the need for targeted educational programmes to encourage rotavirus vaccination, proper handwashing at critical points, and continued breastfeeding alongside complementary feeding after six months of age.
Diarrhoea remains the second leading cause of death globally among children under five, responsible for over half a million deaths each year. Pinpointing local transmission and behavioural drivers, such as hand-feeding habits and vaccination gaps, provides public health authorities with clear targets for preventive campaigns to reduce childhood illness and preventable mortality in vulnerable settings.
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BACKGROUND: Diarrhea is responsible for 525,000 children under-five deaths and 1.7 billion cases globally and is the second leading cause of death among children under-five every year. It is a major public health problem in low income countries like Ethiopia. The main aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of diarrhea and associated risk factors among children under-five in Debre Berhan Town, Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 420 parent or caretaker/children pairs in Debre Berhan town between 13 and 18 April 2018. A multi-stage sampling strategy was used to select the study participants. Data were collected using pre-tested and structured questionnaires. Data were entered in Epi-info computer software version 3.5.1 and exported to SPSS Window Version-16 for analysis. Adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals were used to assess the level of significance. RESULTS: The two week prevalence of diarrhea among children under-five was 16.4% (69/351). Children aged 7-11 months (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 4.2, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2-15.3), being the second-born child (AOR: 3.9, 95%CI: 1.8-8.5), not vaccinated against rotavirus (AOR: 10.3, 95%CI: 3.2-91.3) and feeding children by hand (AOR: 2.5, 95%CI: 1.1-6.1) were significant predictors of diarrhea. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that the two weeks period prevalence of diarrhea among children under-five years was 16.4%. Education programs on the importance of vaccination against rotavirus, increasing breast feeding frequency with complementary food after six months and the critical points of hand washing are recommended.
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DOI: 10.1186/s12879-020-4905-3
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