Relationship Between Settlement Type And Caregivers’ Risk Behaviours For Childhood Diarrhoea In Mwanza City, Tanzania

Silas Richard Kabhele, 1* PhD Student, School of Public Health, University of Dodoma, Tanzania.
Prof. Inory P. Gesase, PhD, School of Public Health, University of Dodoma. Stephen M. Kibusi, PhD School of Public Health, University of Dodoma, Tanzania. *Corresponding author: kabhelesilas@hotmail.com

Received April 14, 2018; Revised April 26, 2018; Accepted May 7, 2018

Abstract: Diarrhoea, an easily preventable disease, has remained a public health problem among children underfive years of age globally. Caregivers’ risk behaviours for diarrhoea are well known. However, the relationship between settlement type and caregivers risk behaviors for diarrhoea is not clear. The overall objective of this study was to determine the relationship between settlement type and caregivers’ behavioural risk factors for diarrhoea in children. A cross sectional study was conducted in Mwanza City from June to August 2016. Validated structured questionnaire for diarrhoea survey developed by United States Agency for International Development was employed for data collection. Principle component factor analysis was performed to reduce variables that had less weight before employing cross tabulation, bivariate and binary logistic regression. The results showed that settlement type has no association with caregivers risk behaviours for diarrhoea in children. Therefore, strategies of improving infrastructure in unplanned settlements for the purpose of reducing childhood diarrhoea should be accompanied with educating community on how to quit from diarrhoeal risk behaviours, because individual behaviour is not influenced by type of settlement where he resides.