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Diarrheal management approach among caregivers of under-5-year-old children in an Egyptian rural area

Objective The objective of this study was to assess the quality of diarrheal management practice and its relation to the sociodemographic characteristics of under-5-year-old children's caregivers. Background Diarrhea among under-5-year-oldchildren is a serious public health problem in many developing countries, including Egypt. Adequate diarrhea management approaches including the increased use of oral rehydration solution (ORS), extra fluid intake, and continued feeding are cost-effective in reducing the child mortality associated with diarrhea and the overall burden of the disease. Patients and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 under-5-year-oldchildren's caregivers in Munshaat Sultan village. All the studied children were evaluated through a questionnaire that involved questions about the history of diarrhea within two weeks before the interview, sociodemographic characteristics, and questions to classify the quality of diarrheal management practices into good, fair, or poor on the basis of mothers' reports for children with diarrhea, using WHO/United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund recommendations for appropriate treatment. Results Good diarrhea management practice was present among 36% of caregivers. About 24, 3, and 1% of children were given ORS and continued feeding, continued feeding and extra fluids, and ORS and extra fluids, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between the quality of diarrheal management practice and mother's education, number of children in the family, socioeconomic standard, and child age. Children were given ORS, antibiotic, antidiarrheal medicine, and zinc in 43, 67, 52, and 21%, respectively. Conclusion Too many children are not receiving adequate management for diarrhea. Hence, the efforts should be increased to improve the quality of care for childhood diarrhea in both health facilities and at the community level.