Diarrhea Prevalence and Associated Factors among Under-Five Children in the Periphery Area of Azezo Sub-city, Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia: A community based cross-sectional study

Abstract Background: Although there has been a global decrease in childhood diarrheal disease in parallel with improvements in the standard of living, it remains a significant public health problem that occurs due to poor WASH status and other related factors that cause massive childhood morbidity and mortality particularly in sub-Saharan Africa countries including Ethiopia. Objective: To assess diarrheal disease prevalence and associated factors among under-five children in the periphery area of Azezo sub-city, Gondar, northwest Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in April 2019. A simple random sampling technique was applied to recruit the eligible clusters/villages. Structured interview questionnaires were used to collect data. The completed data were entered into Epi Info version 7 and exported to SPSS version 20 for further analysis. A binary logistic regression model was used to process bivariate and multivariable analysis of the data to establish the association between dependent and independent variables. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% CI was used for the interpretation of data after controlling the confounders. Results: The two-week prevalence of U5C diarrheal disease was 24.9 % with 95% CI: (20.4 – 29.7). Age group of 1-12months [AOR: 9.22, 95%CI: (2.93-29.04)], age group of 13-24months [AOR: 4.44, 95%CI: (1.87-10.56)], low monthly income (AOR: 3.68, 95% CI: (1.81-7.51)], small family size [AOR: 0.32, 95% CI: (0.16-0.65)], poor hand washing practice [AOR: 8.37, 95 % CI: (3.12-22.52), and immediate feed for cooked foods [AOR: 0.39, 95%CI: (0.19-0.81)] were significantly associated factors with childhood diarrhea. Conclusion: Diarrhea was a common health problem among under-five children in the periphery area of Azezo sub-city. Age of children, family size, monthly income, hand-washing practice, and feeding time for cooked food were identified statistically significant risk factors. Therefore, an appropriate intervention program through health education would be recommended with a focus on identified risk factors to reduce the burden of diarrheal diseases.