Maternal practices and awareness of diarrhea management in children under-five: evidence from Pune, India.

INTRODUCTION

Diarrhea remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children under-five in developing countries. Mothers' knowledge and practices play a critical role in early home management and prevention.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of mothers of under-five children regarding the prevention and management of diarrhea in Pune, India.

METHODS

A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was conducted among 122 mothers attending the pediatric outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to diarrhea were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests.

RESULTS

Most mothers (67.2%) correctly defined diarrhea, and nearly all (99.18%) identified contaminated water as a major cause. Awareness of ORS was high, with 95.9% knowing its correct preparation. However, only 28.7% recognized the role of zinc supplementation. Higher education, employment, and income were significantly associated with better knowledge (p < 0.05), but not with practice scores. A weak positive correlation (r = 0.34) was found between knowledge and practice. About 27% followed all three WHO-recommended home-based treatments (ORS, increased fluids, continued feeding), while 3% relied solely on antibiotics.

CONCLUSION

Mothers demonstrated good awareness of diarrhea causes and ORS use but lacked adequate knowledge of zinc supplementation. Health education efforts should target these gaps to promote complete and evidence-based home management practices.