Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of the Parents/Caregivers on Homebased Management of Diarrhoea in Children Under Five Years at a Local Hospital in Namibia

Ms Nambombola Kristofina Tashiya, Dr Uushona Selma Ingandipewa and Dr Takaedza Munangatire
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Ms Nambombola Kristofina Tashiya: Professional Nurse, Ministry of Health and Social Services, Intermediate Hospital Rundu, Namibia
Dr Uushona Selma Ingandipewa: Lecturer, School of nursing, University of Namibia, Oshakati Campus, Namibia
Dr Takaedza Munangatire: Lecturer, School of nursing, University of Namibia, Rundu Campus, Namibia

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 2025, vol. 9, issue 7, 559-570

Abstract: Background: Diarrhoea illnesses is the leading cause of death in children under five years old globally. Proceeded studies showed limited evidence on knowledge, attitudes and practices of the parents/caregivers in prevention and management of diarrhoea in children. Objectives: This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, practices and socio-demographic variables of parents and caregivers of children under five years. Methodology: A quantitative, descriptive and analytical design was used. A systematic sampling technique of random sampling method was used to collect data using questionnaires. Data was prepared and entered into SPSS version 29 for analysis. Pearson’s correlation was used to examine the correlation between the demographic variables and the knowledge, attitude and practices scores, while Chi-square cross tabulation was applied to test the associations. Results: Out of 400 parents and caregivers, 96.3% had good level of knowledge, 81.5% had negative attitudes, while 87.7% had poor level of practice. The practices of the parents and caregivers are significantly, negatively correlated to the parents’ ages. In addition, attitudes were positively correlated to practice and knowledge was found to be positively correlated to the attitude. Conclusion: Residences, employment status, marital status and chiefly educational level are associated with the knowledge, attitudes and practices on home based management of diarrhoea. The study provides an insight on management of diarrhoea in children, conversely contributing to the comprehensive understanding on how sociodemographic variables affect the knowledge, attitudes and practices of parents/caregivers.

Date: 2025
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