Abstract:
Background: Diarrheal disease is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity
among under-five children in the world and often results from contaminated food and water.
The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of diarrheal disease among under-five
children visiting the pediatric ward in University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized
Hospital and its association with their mothers’ handwashing knowledge.
Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May to
July 2019 among under-five children visiting the pediatric ward in University of Gondar
Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to
collect the data. Chart review was undertaken using a data abstraction form. A simple
random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data were entered
using Epi Info version 7 and analyzed using STATA version 14.0. A binary logistic regression analysis was employed between dependent and independent variables to determine
association. The statistical significance was declared at P<0.05.
Results: In this study, the prevalence of diarrheal disease among under-five children visiting
the pediatric ward in University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital was 30.09%
(95% CI: (26%, 35%)). Age of mothers (AOR=3.72, 95% CI: (1.67, 8.28)), mothers’
educational status (AOR=0.44, 95% CI: (0.23, 0.80)), malnutrition (AOR=6.72, 95% CI:
(3.44, 13.11)), and maternal knowledge of handwashing (AOR=0.49, 95% CI: (0.27, 0.90))
were factors associated with diarrheal disease among under-five children.
