Caregivers’ Attitudes and Practices Towards Prevention of Diarrheal Diseases in Children Under Five Years in Kibra

Abstract

Globally in every nine deaths of children under the age of five years, one death is attributed to Diarrheal diseases, which rank as the second leading cause of death among children under the age of five. For children with HIV, Diarrhea is even more deadly; the death rate of children is eleven times higher than that without HIV. In Kenya, it is the second leading cause of morbidity with a prevalence of about 17 percent and accounts for around 21 percent of under-five child deaths (KDHS 2014). In Kibra, Diarrhea is among the highest causes of morbidity and mortality among children under the age of five years. The purpose of this study was to assess the caregiver attitude and practices towards the prevention of Diarrheal diseases in children five years. It examined the caregiver’s knowledge and attitudes on the causes of Diarrhea, the caregiver’s hygienic practices and the key role of water in causing Diarrhea. The study adopted the Self Eficacy Theory which states that people are capable of controlling their own practices on a given behavior. The study employed descriptive statistics to analye the a sample of 40 households using questionares which were administered and data translated using a cross sectional analysis for meaningful information. The study revealed caregiver attitudes and practices influenced prevention of Diarrhea, on perceived risk and causes of Diarrhea, 48 percent of the respondents acknowledge Diarrhea as the most prevalent disease in their households. Caregiver practices such as hand washing, disposal of faecal waste and hygienic behavior largely determined the risks of Diarrheal diseases. The study concludes that although Diarrhea is prevalent, it can be easily prevented by the adoption of positive attitudes as well as enhanced practices towards measures geared towards elimination of risks of Diarrheal diseases. The study recommends that caregivers in areas such as Kibra should be trained and educated on hygienic practices as well as behavor so as to avoid severe cases of diarrheal diseases.