Prevalence and Factors Associated With Diarrheal Diseases Among Children Below Five Years in Selected Slum Settlements in Entebbe Municipality, Wakiso District, Uganda
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Date
2022
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Research Square
Abstract
Despite global interventions to prevent and control diarrhea, it still remains a public health
problem leading to childhood morbidity and mortality majorly in developing countries. In Uganda,
diarrhea is amongst the five leading causes of under-five mortality, contributing to more than 140,000
deaths every year and this accounts for 7.1% of all under-five mortalities in Uganda. Efforts to prevent
and lower diarrheal diseases need to be informed by data on determinants of diarrhea. The study
assessed factors associated with diarrheal diseases among children below five years in selected slum
settlements in Entebbe municipality, Wakiso District, Uganda.
Methods: The study employed a cross-sectional study design covering 384 randomly selected
households having children < 5 years old in the study area using quantitative research methods. Data
was collected using close-ended questionnaires and diarrhea disease history was captured for the last
month before the survey. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses was to identify the risk
factors associated with childhood diarrhea considering a 95% confidence interval and p < 0.05.
Results: Diarrhea disease in children among the selected slum settlements in Entebbe municipality was
found to be at 62.4%. Access to water from a protected water source (deep well and borehole), presence
of a vent in toilets, age, and child birth weight were found to be significantly associated with diarrheal
diseases among children below five years.
Conclusion: The prevalence of childhood diarrhea among children < 5 years of age in selected slums of
Entebbe municipality was found high. Use of water from a protected source, presence of a vent in toilets,
age, and child birth weight were identified as predictors of diarrhea occurrence. These findings implied
that community health education is urgently needed for fighting childhood diarrhea in the study area to
eliminate the predisposing factors to diarrhea.
Description
Keywords
Diarrhea, Children under 5 years, Risk factors, Slum settlements, Entebbe
Citation
Nantege, R., Kajoba, D., Ddamulira, C., Ndoboli, F., & Ndungutse, D. (2022). Prevalence and Factors Associated With Diarrheal Diseases Among Children Below Five Years in Selected Slum Settlements in Entebbe Municipality, Wakiso District, Uganda. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1509189/v1