Dataset Information

Risk factors for diarrhoea and malnutrition among children under the age of 5 years in the Tigray Region of Northern Ethiopia.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Diarrhoea and malnutrition are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children in areas with poor access to clean water, improved sanitation, and with low socioeconomic status. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of diarrhoea, malnutrition and risk factors among children aged 6-59 months in the Tigray Region of Northern Ethiopia.

Methods

A community based cross-sectional study design was conducted from June to August 2017 to assess the magnitude and factors associated with diarrhoea and malnutrition among children. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect data on diarrhoea, environmental, demographic and behavioural factors from 610 mother-child pairs. Anthropometric measurements were collected from the children. SPSS ver.21 statistical software was used for analysis. Factors associated with diarrhoea and nutritional status were identified using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. A p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Of the 610 children monitored in this study, the incidence of diarrhoea among 6-59 month-old children in the two weeks preceding the day of the interview day was 27.2% (95% CI: 23.6-31%). Specifically, 35.9%, 9.7%, and 1.8% had 1-2, 3-4 and 5-6 times of diarrhoea episodes in a one year of time, respectively. The prevalence of stunting, underweight, wasting, and acute under-nutrition were 36.1% (95% CI: 31-38.6%), 37% (95% CI: 32-39.6%), 7.9% (95% CI: 5.5-9.7%), and 5.4% (95% CI: 3.8-7.4%), respectively. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, type of drinking water source [AOR = 3.69; 95% CI: 2.03-6.71], mothers not hand washing at critical times [AOR = 15.42; 95% CI: 2.02-117.78], improper solid waste disposal [AOR = 12.81; 95% CI: 2.50-65.62], and child age (36-47 months) [AOR = 2.57; 95% CI: 1.45-4.55] were found to be predictors of diarrhoea. Being within the age range of 12-23 months was a predictor for wasting [AOR = 4.38; 95% CI: 1.61-11.90] and being underweight [AOR = 4.4; 95% CI: 1.7-11.2]. Similarly, the age range of 36-47 months was associated with wasting [AOR = 2.3; 95% CI: 1.45-3.85] and stunting [AOR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.03-2.67]. Family size (less than 4) [AOR = 0.56; 95% CI: 0.368-0.959] was inversely associated for wasting.

Conclusions

Our study revealed that the problem of diarrhoea and malnutrition amongst 6-59 months children in the study area was significant. Access to clean water was the main problem in the study area. Hence, improving access to clean water and providing health education to mothers on personal and environmental hygiene, and proper waste disposal could improve diarrhoea in the study area. Intervention on children's nutrition should also be implemented to minimize the problem of malnutrition.

SUBMITTER: Wasihun AG

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6257922 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Neglected tropical zoonotic diseases (NTZDs) continue to have a major effect on the health of humans and animals. In this study, a one health approach was used to prioritize and rank neglected tropical zoonotic diseases at the regional and zonal levels in Tigray National Regional State, Ethiopia. For prioritization of NTZDs a cross-sectional study through a structured questionnaire was administered to 313 health experts from human and animal health sectors. In addition, focus group discussions (FGD) were held with purposively selected key informants. Descriptive, and Multivariable analysis was applied to report the results and a ranked list of diseases was developed at the zonal and regional level. In the region, 8 of the 12 World Health Organization listed NTZDs were considered major diseases including anthrax, brucellosis, bovine tuberculosis, taeniasis, leishmaniasis, rabies, schistosomiasis, and soil-transmitted helminths. Considering the zoonotic and socioeconomic importance of the diseases at the regional level, rabies ranked 1stwhereas anthrax, bovine tuberculosis, leishmaniasis, and brucellosis were ranked from 2nd to 5th, respectively. The FGD result also supported the prioritization result. The Multivariable analysis showed a statistically significant difference in the zonal distribution of anthrax (р = 0.009, OR = 1.16), taeniasis (p<0.001, OR = 0.82), leishmaniasis (p<0.001, OR = 1.91), rabies (p = 0.020, OR = 0.79) and soil-transmitted helminths (p = 0.007, OR = 0.87) but not for brucellosis (p = 0.585), bovine tuberculosis (p = 0.505), and schistosomiasis (p = 0.421). Anthrax (p<0.001, OR = 26.68), brucellosis (p<0.001, OR = 13.18), and taeniasis (p<0.001, OR = 6.17) were considered as the major zoonotic diseases by veterinary practitioners than human health practitioners whereas, leishmaniasis was recognized as a major health challenge by human health professionals. Understanding the priority diseases in the region is supportive for informed decision-making and prioritizes the limited resources to use. Furthermore, strengthening the collaboration between human and animal health professions is important to control the diseases.