Publications

Research outputs, reports, policy briefs and knowledge products from KIU scholars and partners.

2023 Faculty of Clinical Medicine and Dentistry INOSR APPLIED SCIENCES

Prevalence of Diarrhoea in Children Under Five Years Admitted at KIUTH, Ishaka-Bushenyi District, Western Uganda

Badang Nicholas Macdonald

Diarrhoea is a major public health concern globally, with 2.5 billion cases occurringannually among children under five. Nearly three-quarters of child deaths are due todiarrhoea, with 16,000 deaths daily in 2015 from preventable causes like pneumonia,diarrhoea, and malaria. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factorsinfluencing diarrhoea in children under five admitted to Kampala International UniversityTeaching Hospital. A cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted, with 238mothers randomly sampled from the population whose children were admitted. Resultsshowed a prevalence of 24.4% among children under five admitted to Kampala InternationalUniversity Teaching Hospital, influenced by factors such as vaccination status, early introduction of supplementary foods, early weaning, and child age. Mothers do not practice exclusive breastfeeding, but introduce their children to other foods at a very early age, coupled with early weaning. The study highlights the need for better prevention and treatment strategies for diarrhoea in under five children