A knowledge - attitude - practice study of oral rehydration solution in mothers.

During May 1990-April 1991 a multicenter study on knowledge attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding oral rehydration solution (ORS) was carried out covering the service population of 10 large military stations under the Southern Command of India. The aim was to assess the KAP of 1000 mothers (100 each from the 10 stations) with children under 5 years of age who had suffered from diarrhea. 270 (27%) mothers were illiterate; of the remaining 730 literate mothers 59 had graduated from higher institutions of learning. 524 children had 1 episode of diarrhea vs. 341 with 2 89 with 3 and 46 with 4 or more episodes. The incidence of 3 or more episodes of diarrhea was the highest in children of illiterate mothers (25.15%) compared to the proportion of children of mothers with almost completed and completed studies (9.4% and 65.8% respectively; p < 0.001). 640 mothers had used ORS for treating their children vs. 360 mothers who had failed to used ORS. 86.4% of mothers with higher education had used ORS vs. 56.3% of illiterate mothers (p < 0.001). 768 mothers had heard about ORS vs. 232 mothers who had never heard about it. The source of information was medical/paramedical staff for 324; TV/radio/press for 172 both of these sources for 214 and friends and relatives for 58. The health education information on ORS received from medical and paramedical personnel was the most effective source (85.2%). The difference in the use of ORS according to the mothers source of information was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The use of ORS was the highest in small families: 66.8% in 1-child families and 70.1% in families with 2 children. ORS use was less in families with 3 children (53.7%) and the lowest in families with 4 or more children (38.5%); the difference being statistically significant (p < 0.001). 675 of the mothers had been advised by health personnel to give ORS to their children. Substitutes of ORS were known to 547 mothers but only 406 mothers ever made use of them.