Korean J Parasitol.  2021 Feb;59(1):61-65. 10.3347/kjp.2021.59.1.61.

Association between Sociodemographic Factors and Diarrhea in Children Under 5 Years in Rwanda

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Environmental Medical Biology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Arthropods of Medical Importance Resource Bank, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea
  • 2Department of Global Health Security, Graduate School of Public Health, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea

Abstract

Diarrheal disease is the second leading cause of mortality and morbidity in children under 5 years old worldwide, and is the most common cause of malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa. In Rwanda, diarrhea is the third leading cause of death in children under 5 years old. This study examined the association between sociodemographic factors and diarrhea in children under 5 years using the data of 7,474 households in the 2014-2015 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey. Overall prevalence of diarrhea in this study was 12.7% in children. An increased risk for diarrhea was found for children aged 12-23 months (odds ratio (OR)=4.514), those with a low economic status (OR=1.64), those from the Western province (OR=1.439), those with poorly-educated mothers (OR=5.163), and those with families engaged in agricultural activities (OR=1.624). In conclusion, sociodemographic factors significantly affect the risk of developing diarrhea in children under 5 years in Rwanda. Designing and implementing health education promoting awareness of early interventions and rotavirus vaccination are essential to reduce diarrheal diseases for the Rwandan community.

Keyword

Diarrhea; children; Rwanda
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