Factors Influencing the Use of Oral Rehydration Solution among Mothers of Under Five Children Attending Holy Rosary Specialist Hospital and Maternity Waterside In Onitsha North Lga, Anambra State.

Abstract

Purpose: This study determined factors influencing the use of oral rehydration solution among mothers with children below five years of age attending Holy Rosary Specialist Hospital and Maternity Waterside in Onitsha North LGA, Anambra State. Methodology: A cross-sectional descriptive design was adopted in conducting the study among mothers with children under five years attending Rosary Specialist Hospital and Maternity, Waterside in Onitsha North Local Government Area, Anambra State. A sample size of one hundred and fifty (150) women was selected by convenience sampling techniques. A self-structured questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.98 was used in gathering the necessary data suitable for the study which were analysed with SPSS version 20.0. Findings: It was discovered that majority of the women 141(94.6%) have heard of ORS and they have adequate understanding of the solution, the two different types of oral rehydration solutions (that is solution from oral rehydration salt and salt sugar solution) but do not use SSS hence lack adequate knowledge of its preparation. Also, the mothers 116(95.9%) used ORS when their children had diarrhoea while the remaining 5(4.1%) did not use ORS because their children never had diarrhoea. 65(43.6%) of the women have all the materials needed for the preparation of SSS while 70(47.0%) which were the majority did not know the materials required for the preparation of ORS hence they could not indicate if they had the materials or not. From the hypothesis tested, there is a significant relationship between mothers’ level of education (p=0.030), mother’s occupation (p=0.024), number of under five children (p=0.045) and the use of ORS. From the study, it was ascertained that socio-demographic factors like mother’s level of education, occupation and number of under five children affected the use of ORS in the population used. Mother’s level of knowledge of the solution, availability and accessibility of the ORS sachet (environmental factor) and the occurrence of diarrhoea in a child (Child factor) also affect use of ORS. Recommendations: Health workers in the health care facilities should intensify their effort in the provision of adequate health education to the mothers (may be to be incorporated into antenatal care health talks) on the preparation of Salt Sugar Solution (SSS) type which is cost effective and readily available. Also the hospital management should ensure that Oral Rehydration salt sachets are available in the hospitals and at an affordable price so as to ensure authenticity of the product used by the women.