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Factors Associated with Childhood Diarrhea in Rwanda: A Secondary Data Analysis of the Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey 2014-15
Authors: Malachie Tuyizere, Theogene Nyandwi, Amos Habimana, and Cyprien Munyanshongore
Source: Rwanda Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2(3): 230-234; DOI: 10.4314/rjmhs.v2i3.4
Topic(s): Child health
Children under five
Diarrhea
Country: Africa
  Rwanda
Published: SEP 2019
Abstract: Background Diarrheal diseases remain an important cause of morbidity among children, particularly in children under five years old, in low- and middle-income countries where it causes nearly 1.7 billion cases every year. Methods We used a quantitative cross-sectional design. This study aimed to explore the determinants of child diarrhea among under five-year children in Rwanda. A deep analysis of the 2014- 2015 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS), with multivariate logistic regression, using stata13 was performed. The 2014-2015 Survey was the fifth standard national survey, implemented by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) in a period of six months from November 2014 to April 2015. Results A sample of 2841 children under five years old were included. Chi-square test and logistic regression were performed. A significance level of 0.05 at 95% CI was considered. Child age and wealth index showed a strong association with diarrhea. Children in the age groups of 6-11, 12-23, 24-35 months were at higher risk of diarrhea than children aged 48-59 months, OR: 5.0 [3.1-8.2], P-value: 0.001; OR: 7.6, CI [4.7-12.2], P-value: 0.001; OR:3.8 [2.3-6.2], P-value: 0.001 respectively. Moreover, children from poorest and poorer families were twice more at risk of diarrhea than children from richest families. OR: 2, CI [1.3-2.9], P-value: 0.001. Conclusion The study concluded that low wealth index, and child age less than 35 months were important risks for under-five child diarrhea.
Web: https://ur.ac.rw/IMG/pdf/7._malachie_rjmhs_2019_2_3_.pdf