Mothers’ Performance towards the Prevention and Home-Based Care of Diarrheal Diseases among their Children

Background: Diarrhea is the most common cause of death among children under five years old. Fortunately, diarrhea is a preventable disease that can be avoided by following basic home management strategies. Mothers are vital in its management and prevention. Aim of the study Assess mothers’ performance towards the prevention and home-based care of diarrheal diseases among their children. Design: A cross-sectional descriptive design was utilized in this study. Setting: The present study was conducted in 5 family medical centers in Ismailia City. Sample: A convenient sample of 360 mothers with under five children. Tools of data collection: A structured-interview questionnaire about socio-demographic characteristics of the studied mother and child, knowledge about diarrheal diseases, attitude and reported practice towards the prevention and home-based care of diarrheal diseases. Results: 45% of the studied mothers had an adequate level of knowledge about diarrheal diseases, the majority 98.1% of the studied mothers had a positive attitude, and more than one-quarter 26.7% of the studied mothers had an adequate level of reported practices towards the prevention and home-based care of diarrheal diseases. Conclusion: There was no statistically significant correlation between studied mothers' knowledge, and their reported practice, while there was a statistically significant weak positive correlation between studied mothers' knowledge, and their attitude. Recommendations: Educational program in family medical centers for mothers with under five children about preparation of oral rehydration solution (ORS), making fluids at home and Correct technique for sterilizing and preparing milk bottles.