Lactating mothers perception toward diarrheal disease in Mizan-Aman District, South-West Ethiopia: mixed study design

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Acute diarrheal diseases are the leading cause of preventable death, especially among children under-five in developing countries. Worldwide and nationwide diarrheal disease is the second leading cause of death in under-five year children. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess perception of lactating mothers' toward diarrheal disease in Mizan-Aman District, South-West Ethiopia. METHODS: community based cross-sectional quantitative study supplemented by qualitative study. A total of 383 selected households with the lactating mothers were involved in the study. Data was collected through face-to-face interview technique by trained data collectors. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Multiple logistic regressions analysis was used to identify the independent predictors. Odds ratio, with 95% confidence level and P = 0.05 were used to determine statistically significant association. RESULTS: the majority of the respondents had primary education (44.4%) and from rural area (52.2%). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that past experience of diarrheal disease at household had association with residence AOR = 4.79(1.33,7.78), educational status AOR = 0.72(0.55,1.29, Wealth index AOR = 8.9(0.99,17.45), knowledge AOR = 2.34(1.2-4.3). Perceived susceptibility AOR = 0.44 (0.33,11.33) and perceived severity of their child to diarrheal disease AOR 0.24CI (1.23,7.99). CONCLUSION: lactating mothers' perceptions toward their child probability of getting diarrheal disease and danger of the disease with primary education and above protected their children against diarrhea better than mothers with no education. Thus, implementing effective educational programs that emphasize on the benefit of complying with nationally recommended practice to prevent diarrheal disease is important to reduce the risk.

Keywords

• perception
• knowledge
• lactating mothers
• diarrheal disease
• susceptibility
• maji