RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: To assess knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP), of rural mothers in Karbala, Iraq towards prevention and home management of diarrhoeal diseases among their children, in relation to water sanitation and personal hygiene. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted during the period from June to October 2016. Two hundred and five mothers of children under 5 years age living in two villages of Alhusainya district of Karbala were interviewed regarding their KAP on diarrhoea and waterborne diseases. RESULTS: The overall mean score of the participants' KAP (out of 100) was 52.74 ± 9.69 with a range of 27.00- 81.00. The majority of the respondents, (n=159 (77.6%), had low KAP, and the mean score of attitude and practice (AP) was 56.98 ± 13.82 with a range of 12.50 - 93.75. More than half 116(56.6%) had weak AP. There was a significant association between the KAP score with that of AP. The KAP score and AP score were significantly lower in young mothers and those with lower education. One hundred seventeen (57%) participants claimed that television and radio were the main sources of their health information. CONCLUSIONS: Mothers in rural areas in Karbala, especially the young and those with low education had low KAP and AP towards diarrhoea and waterborne diseases, and that there was a significant association between the two variables. Television and radio, and to a lesser extent the health centres were the main sources of knowledge.
