Acute diarrhoeal disease among under-five children presenting at a paediatric referral Facility in Lagos, Nigeria

Background: The morbidity and mortality from acute diarrhoeal disease remain significantly high especially in low and middle income countries. Aim: This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of acute diarrhoea, and the associated risk factors among under-five children seen at a paediatric referral facility in Lagos, Nigeria. Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study of under-five children who presented with acute diarrhoeal disease at the Children Emergency Room and General Out-Patient Clinic of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, Lagos, South-Western Nigeria. Information was obtained on socio-demographic characteristics, environmental/ hygienic practices, feeding practices and immunization status. Results: The prevalence of acute diarrhoea was 400 of 4836(8.3%) under-five children. Three hundred and ninety-five (73.7%) of these children were aged less than two years. The identified associated risk factors for acute diarrhoea among children aged less than two years were use of feeding bottles (OR 12.4; 95% CI 1.8-7.2; p= 0.000), failure to complete immunization(OR 13.0; 95% CI 3.1-43.3; p= 0.000), attendance of crèches (OR 47.1; 95% CI 15.6-141.1; p= 0.000), failure to exclusively breastfeed (OR 6.7; 95% CI 1.3-6.7; p= 0.010) and malnutrition (OR 3.9; 95% CI 1.0-20.3; p= 0.049). Conclusions: Acute diarrhoea remain a significant public health burden affecting majorly children aged less than two years. Efforts at prevention of diarrhoeal disease burden should focus on improvement of hygienic and feeding practices.