Home management of childhood diarrhoea in a poor periurban community in Dominican Republic

The purpose of this study was to identify local knowledge and practices of, and barriers to, the home management of childhood diarrhoea in a poor periurban district of the Dominican Republic. In total, 582 caregivers of children aged five years and younger were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Forty-six percent of the caregivers reported that one of their children had experienced diarrhoea within the last month. There was high reported use of ORS and knowledge of its preparation and principal function. However, there were many obstacles to its use. Other concerns included high rates of dietary restrictions during diarrhoea, positive view of the use of antibiotics, poor knowledge of preparation of sugar-salt solutions, and low attention given to clinical indicators as reasons for seeking professional treatment. Health-promotion efforts should target these areas of concerns to further improve the management of childhood diarrhoea in this district.