EVALUATION OF PARENTS AWARENESS ABOUT MANAGEMENT OF DIARRHEA AMONG CHILDREN: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Objective: This research aims to determine the factors influencing the evaluation of parents' awareness of managing diarrhea among children.

Methods: This research employs a cross-sectional study design to evaluate parental awareness about managing diarrhea among children. Cross-sectional studies provide a snapshot of a population at a specific time, allowing for the assessment of prevalence and associations between variables.

Results: The study included 584 participants. The most frequent family income among them was good (n= 464, 79%) followed by High (n= 100, 17%), then Weak income (n=20,3%). The most frequent age among study participants was from 7 – 12 years old (n= 190, 32.5%) followed by 4 – 6 years (n= 171, 29.3%), then less than 1 year (n=99, 17%), finally from 13 – 18 years (24, 4.1%). The most frequent gender among study participants was female (n= 314, 53.7%), followed by male (n= 270, 46.2%). The child suffers from chronic diseases, with most of them not having chronic diseases (n= 566, 97%) and else having chronic diseases (n=18, 3%), where the chronic diseases are allergy, growth delay, and blood thinning.  Participants were asked about their knowledge of using Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS). Their responses and results are yes (n=330, 56.6%) and no (n=254, 43.5%). The most frequent answer about the Role of ORS solution in diarrhea was Prevents child from getting dehydrated (n=470, 80%), followed by either increases or decreases diarrhea (n= 72, 12.3%), and either increases or decreases diarrhea (n=42, 7.2%). The most frequent Sources of information of use ORS were the Consultation of pharmacists (n= 300, 51.4%), then medical prescriptions (n= 114, 19.5%), followed by the Internet (n=94, 16.1%). Participants were asked about Critical signs and symptoms of diarrhea were the most frequent answer Thirst and dry mouth (n=208, 35.6%), flowed by Passage of >3 loose stools with blood in 24 h (n=202, 34.6%), then Loss of stretchiness of the skin (n=88, 15.1%), and I do not know (n=62, 10.6%), finally Tearless eyes (n= 24, 4.1%).

Conclusion: The findings of this study underscore the critical need for improved parental awareness and education regarding managing diarrhea among children. While most participants demonstrated some knowledge of Oral Rehydration Solutions (ORS) and their role in preventing dehydration, significant gaps remain in recognizing critical symptoms and understanding proper management strategies.