Parents’ Knowledge of Acute Diarrheal Disease and its Association with Dehydration in Children under Five Years Old

Abstract

Objective: To assess parents’ knowledge of acute diarrheal disease (add) in children under five years of age, and its association with dehydration. Method: analytical transversal study carried out from October to November of 2016 in the Emergency Room of the General Regional Hospital No. 1 of the Mexican Social Security Institute (imss) in Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico. A questionnaire was applied to a hundred parents of children under five years, who went to the emergency department for eda; parents’ knowledge of this disease, the child’s hydration status and demographic data were assessed. Descriptive and bivariate analysis was performed to obtain odds ratio (or) and confidence intervals (ci). Results: of all participants, 81% was female; the age range was from 16 to 45 years; 39% had low knowledge level, 50% average and 11% high; 62% of children had dehydration; being a child of parents with a medium or low level of knowledge was associated with dehydration. Conclusions: Parents of children with add have a medium or low knowledge of the disease due to their association with dehydration in children.