Awareness and Knowledge of Diarrhoeal Home Management among Mothers of Under-five in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

Improving maternal and child health care is one of the most utmost priorities of every responsible society. Civilization is adjudged by the level of assistance and help a society renders to its most vulnerable groups. Under-five children constitute an important population group in terms of vulnerability to health conditions that could adversely affect their health and well-being. Diarrhoea disease has been reported to be one of the most common causes of infant deaths especially in the developing countries of the world. Oral rehydration therapy (ORT) with oral rehydration solution (ORS) is the appropriate management of diarrhoeal dehydration and is the single most effective strategy in preventing diarrhoeal deaths in children. The extent to which mothers of under-five children can adopt this therapy is tied to their level of knowledge on its efficacy and preparation. This study was designed to examine awareness and knowledge of ORS in diarrhea home management among mothers of under-five in Ibadan. The cross-sectional descriptive survey was employed in the study and data was generated from households using a self-developed and validated questionnaire. Generated data were analysed using descriptive statistics of frequency counts and percentages. Findings showed that while awareness of ORS in diarrhea prevention was high, knowledge relating to its preparation and use was found to be low. Population-specific intervention to improve knowledge of under-five mothers on diarrhea home management was recommended.