Assessment of Knowledge, Practice and Utilaization of Oral Rehayderation Therapy for Acute Watery Diarrhoeal Disease Case Management Among Mothers (CAREGIVERS’) of Under-Five Children in Assela Town, Ethiopia
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Date
2015-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Rehydration therapy was a critical intervention to save the lives of children during the episodes
of diarrhea. However, millions of children die every year due to failure to replace fluid
effectively.
Globally, diarrheal diseases remain a leading cause of death. It estimates 1.87 million each year,
accounting for approximately 19% among children of under- five. Most of these deaths are due
to dehydration and mismanagement or delayed management of the disease.
Therefore the mothers’ knowledge in management of diarrhea is likely related to its mortality
and morbidity. Nearly all dehydration-related deaths can be preventable by prompt
administration of rehydration therapy. ORT is simple, inexpensive and the most effective way to
treat dehydration. It can be easily administered at home by the mother /care givers as soon as
diarrhea episode begins.
Universal use of oral rehydration therapy (ORT) for diarrhea could prevent almost 1.5 million
deaths per year, or 15% of all under-five deaths.
Objective: to assess the knowledge, practice of mothers (caregivers) towards ORS utilization for
under-five children with acute diarrheal disease in Assela town.
Method: Community based quantitative cross-sectional study were conducted from March to
April, 2015. A convenient sampling technique was used to select 390 households that had under-
five children with acute watery diarrhea two weeks prior to study. Data were collected using pre-
tested structured questionnaire by trained data collectors. The data were entered and analyzed
using SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics (frequencies and proportion) were used to describe
the study population in relation to relevant variables
Sample size – Data were obtained from 390 care givers yielding a response rate 100%
Sampling Result
The study finding revealed that out of 390 caregivers 182 (46.7%) had good knowledge about
ORS utilization for acute watery diarrheal disease case management while, 208 (53.3%) of care
givers had poor knowledge. In other hand 41 (10.5%) of care givers had good practice on case
management while, 349 (89.5%) of care givers had poor practice to manage the disease.
Conclusion: The present study concludes that mothers had knowledge in the management of
diarrhea. However, several gap existed between knowledge and practice of mothers in managing
the disease. The high knowledge revealed in this study had not influenced the practice of mothers
in managing the disease. Thus, there is a need for public health educational interventions.
Keywords: Knowledge; Practice; ORS; Mother; Under-five Children; Manageme
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Keywords
Knowledge, Practice, ORS, Mother, Under-five Children