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Household illness prevalence and its determinants in the under-five children
Abstract
Objective: To determine the household illness prevalence and their risk factors in the under-fives.
Methods: A cross-sectional community based house-to-house survey was conducted on randomly selected one urban and nine rural villages in Dabat district, North Western Ethiopia.
Results: Out of the 457 under-five children enrolled in the study 154 (33.7%) had symptoms of illness two weeks prior to the study day. The most frequently occurring symptoms were fever (n=113), cough (n=57) and diarrhea (n=52). Increased frequency of symptoms of disease was found in children below 12 months of age (p=0.005), with lack of history of vegetable consumption (p=0.0005) and with mid-upper arm circumference of less than 13.5 cms (p=0.004). Only 16.2% (n=26) of those with symptoms sought medical advice.
Conclusions: Household intervention programs targeting the frequently seen illnesses and their risk factors are suggested to reduce burden of disease in the under-fives.
(Ethiopian Journal of Health Development, 2001, 15(3): 173-178)
Methods: A cross-sectional community based house-to-house survey was conducted on randomly selected one urban and nine rural villages in Dabat district, North Western Ethiopia.
Results: Out of the 457 under-five children enrolled in the study 154 (33.7%) had symptoms of illness two weeks prior to the study day. The most frequently occurring symptoms were fever (n=113), cough (n=57) and diarrhea (n=52). Increased frequency of symptoms of disease was found in children below 12 months of age (p=0.005), with lack of history of vegetable consumption (p=0.0005) and with mid-upper arm circumference of less than 13.5 cms (p=0.004). Only 16.2% (n=26) of those with symptoms sought medical advice.
Conclusions: Household intervention programs targeting the frequently seen illnesses and their risk factors are suggested to reduce burden of disease in the under-fives.
(Ethiopian Journal of Health Development, 2001, 15(3): 173-178)
