Water, sanitation and hygiene risk factors associated with diarrhoea morbidity in a rural community of Enugu, South East Nigeria

• Published in: The Pan African medical journal 2020, Vol.37 (115), p.115
• Main Authors: Nwokoro, Ugochukwu Uzoechina, Ugwa, Onyekachi, Onwuliri, Chinemerem Daniel, Obi, Izuchukwu Frank, Ngozi, Murphy-Okpala, Agunwa, Chuka
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Child; Child, Preschool; community-based; Cross-Sectional Studies; Data collection; determinants; Diarrhea; Diarrhea - epidemiology; diarrhoea; Drinking water; Education; environmental factors; Female; Hand Disinfection - standards; hand washing; Households; Humans; Hygiene; Hygiene - standards; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Local government; Male; Middle Aged; Morbidity; Mortality; Nigeria - epidemiology; Prevalence; Questionnaires; Risk Factors; Rural areas; Rural Population; Sanitation; Sanitation - standards; Sociodemographics; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teaching hospitals; Toilet Facilities - standards; Water Supply - statistics & numerical data; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1937-8688; 1937-8688
• DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2020.37.115.17735

diarrhoea remains a public health problem globally with majority of diarrhoea morbidity and mortality occurring in low resource settings. This study assessed the prevalence of diarrhoea and factors associated with diarrhoea in a rural community in Enugu, South East Nigeria. a community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted between May and June, 2017. Information on socio-demographic characteristics, water, sanitation, hand washing practices and diarrhoea history was obtained from 534 community residents using a structured interviewer administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square and logistic regression tests at 5% level of significance. prevalence of diarrhoea in the two weeks preceding the study was 7.47% and 10.77% among all ages and children younger than five years respectively. Of 469 residents aged five years and above, 206 (43.92%) accessed source of drinking water within 30 minutes round trip walking distance from their households, 275 (58.64%) practiced open defecation while 456 (97.23%) and 455 (97.01%) reported washing hands with soap or ash and water before eating and after using the toilet respectively. Two or more households sharing a toilet facility [AOR = 4.78 (95% CI 2.03-11.24)] was a risk factor for diarrhoea while washing hands with soap or ash and water before eating [AOR = 0.23 (95% CI 0.06-0.90)] and after using the toilet [0.16 (95% CI 0.04-0.55)] protected against diarrhoea. increasing access to improved sanitary sewage disposal methods and promoting hand washing with soap and water at critical moments would improve diarrhoeal disease control.