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Diarrhoea amongst under three children in rural Haryana
1Department of Human Nutrition, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.
Insights
Diarrhoea is common in children under three years old, particularly those aged 6-11 months. Bottle feeding was associated with diarrhoea, but nutritional status was not a significant factor in its occurrence.
Area of Science:
- Community Health
- Pediatrics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Diarrhoea remains a significant health concern for young children globally.
- Understanding its prevalence and associated factors is crucial for effective public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the magnitude of diarrhoea among children under three years of age in Haryana.
- To identify factors associated with diarrhoea in this vulnerable population.
Main Methods:
- A community-based study utilizing multistage random sampling in two districts of Haryana.
- Inclusion of 818 children aged 0-35 months from scheduled caste communities.
- Detailed data collection on children experiencing diarrhoea within two weeks of the survey.
Main Results:
- The highest occurrence of diarrhoea was observed in the 6-11 month age group (28%), with the lowest in the 0-5 month group (16%).
- No significant relationship was found between children's nutritional status and diarrhoea prevalence.
- Bottle feeding was reported by 37% of children suffering from diarrhoea.
Conclusions:
- Diarrhoea disproportionately affects infants aged 6-11 months.
- Bottle feeding practices may warrant further investigation as a potential risk factor.
- Nutritional status, as assessed, did not appear to be a primary determinant of diarrhoea occurrence in this study population.
Abstract:
A community based study was conducted to assess the magnitude of the problem of diarrhoea and factors associated with it amongst children below three years of age. Two districts in Haryana state were selected by using multistage random sampling procedure. Eight hundred eighteen children in the age group of 0-35 months belonging to scheduled caste communities were studied. All children suffering from diarrhoea at the time of survey or within last 2 weeks were included for the detailed study. The occurrence of diarrhoea was highest in age group 6-11 months (28%) and was lowest in age group 0-5 months (16%). No relationship was found between the nutritional status of children and the occurrence of diarrhoea. The percentage prevalence of diarrhoea was 42, 32 and 36 per cent amongst normally, moderately and severely malnourished children, respectively. Thirty seven percent of children suffering from diarrhoea received bottle feed.