Abstract:
Diarrheal disease is a major cause of child morbidity and mortality in developing countries,
including Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of diarrheal
disease and associated the risk factors among under-five age children who were visiting Hamusit
Health Center, Dera District, South Gondar Zone, northwest Ethiopia. A Health Center based
cross-sectional study was conducted from February 30 to March 30, 2021. The sample size
selected in the present study were 191 and data were collected by administering questionnaires to
the parents/caretakers of the children. Both univariate and multivariate logistic regression
analyses were employed to identify risk factors. p-value < 0.05 were considered significant. The
point prevalence of diarrhea among under five children was 25.7% (95% CI: 19.3-31.9). The
mthors/caretakers who had low economic income of family with less than 3874 Ethiopian Birr
[AOR= 19.45 (1.439, 263.059)], child‟s age from 12-23 months [AOR= 8.096 (0.447, 146.70)],
children mostly taking food/fluid of adult food [AOR= 6.419 (1.098, 37.527), duration of breast
feeding a child with less than six months [AOR=7.640 (1.511, 38.627), a child start
supplementary feeding before less than six months [AOR= 9.764 ( 95% CI, 1.79, 53.071)] and
lack of measles vaccination [AOR= 4.78 (1.813, 12.647)] were predictors of the occurrence of
diarrhea. There was a high prevalence of diarrheal disease among children in the study area. The
mthors/caretakers who had low economic income of family with less than 3874 Ethiopian Birr,
child‟s age from 12-23 months, children mostly taking food/fluid of adult food, duration of
breast feeding a child with less than six months, a child start supplementary feeding before less
than six months and lack of measles vaccination were notably associated with childhood
diarrheal disease. Therefore, improving economic income, pure water supply, increasing the
frequency of breast feeding after six months, exclusive breast feeding before six months and
measles vaccination and would minimize the burden of diarrheal disease.