Caregivers Knowledge And Practices In Management Of Diarrhoea Among Children Aged 6-59 Months In Ceelafweyn District, Sanag Region, Somaliland

ABSTRACT

Diarrhoea is among the major causes of mortality among children under five years of age. Majority of these deaths are as result of dehydration and mismanagement. Caregivers‟ knowledge in management of diarrhoea is likely to be related to its outcomes. In Somaliland, diarrhea disease is among the top five illnesses that affect the under-fives and cause 13% of mortality in this age group. This study aimed to investigate caregivers‟ knowledge and practices in the management of diarrhoea among children aged 6-59 months in Ceelafweyn district, Somaliland. The objectives of the study were to: determine prevalence rate of diarrhoea, caregivers‟ knowledge on diarrhoea, caregivers‟ practices on management of diarrhoea, and the association between knowledge and practices in management of diarrhoea. A cross sectional descriptive study design was used. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires that was uploaded in a phone using Magpi software and 10 focus group discussions were conducted. Total of 200 caregivers who met the inclusion criteria and gave consent were recruited using systematic sampling of households. SPSS version 23 was used in the analysis of qualitative data while qualitative data was organized and analyzed thematically. Chi-square test was used for hypothesis testing. Significance level was P value of < 0.05. Findings revealed diarrhoea prevalence rate to be 47% among children aged 6-59 months with majority 42(45%) from caregivers who were aged 28-37 years with 49(52%) being housewives and those not owning a latrine had 53% of their children suffer from diarrhoea. Findings showed 62.5% identified dehydration as a symptom, 43.5% unsafe drinking water as a cause and only 19(9.5%) could identify handwashing as a preventive measure of diarrhoea. For source of knowledge, 30% obtained from community health workers (CHWs). Majority, 57% of the caregivers used tea for treating diarrhoea and 21.5% exclusively breastfed with introduction to complementary feeding before age of 6 months being at 80%. Failure of caregiver to have the knowledge in identification of four critical times of handwashing increases chances of having a child suffering from diarrhoea by 4.16 times and those who reported unsafe drinking water is a predisposing factor, their child is 0.98(p= 0.0031,95% C.I 0.77-1.096) times less likely to suffer from diarrhoea. Caregivers who gave ORS and Zinc reduced progression of diarrhoea by 49% and 17.8% respectively and those introduced complementary feeding before age of 6 months were 27% times more likely of getting diarrhoea than the one who did after 6 months. The study recommends the Ministry of health to formulate programs that would help to address diarrhoeal disease (DD) among the children aged between 6 and 59 months to help educate mothers on identification of signs and symptoms, causes, preventive measures and management practices of diarrhoea.