Supporting factors of diarrhoea diseases in the children under 5 years in commune II of the Bamako district in Mali

Abstract

Diarrhea remains a real public health problem as it is the second leading cause of under-five mortality. In tropical environments, studies show several factors contributing to the frequency and severity of diarrhea. It is in this context that the present study of the factors favoring diarrheal diseases in children from 0 to 5 years in commune II of Bamako district was carried out. Material and methods: A cross-sectional cluster survey involving 200 mothers of children aged 0-5, from November 2015 to October 2016. The Pearson Chi² test was used for a 95% confidence level. Results: Married women accounted for 85.5% of our sample, 47% of whom had no education. Of the mothers surveyed, 17% of their children had at least one episode of diarrhea in the two weeks preceding the survey. Almost all mothers (94%) washed their hands before feeding their children and 13% did not do so after cleaning the children. Regarding the cleanliness of the concession, it was bad in 23.5%. The majority of mothers (51%) did not know the significance of diarrhea, 43% reported the means of transmission, and 28% had inadequate practice in managing diarrhea. Factors such as poor hygiene practices, poor knowledge of the subject, and inappropriate nutrition may be associated with diarrhea. Conclusion Our study showed that diarrhea was a dirty hand disease, hence the importance of increasing mothers' awareness of best practice for behavior change.