RELATIONSHIP OF KNOWLEDGE, DEFECATION BEHAVIOR AND FLY DENSITY WITH INCIDENCE OF DIARRHEA ON CHILDREN: A CASE CONTROL STUDY

Introduction: Diarrhea is a significant public health problem because it is the third major contributor to child morbidity and mortality in various countries, including Indonesia. This study aimed to determine the relationship between the density of flies in the geographic area, the knowledge of the mothers, their defecation behavior, and the presence of diarrhea in children in Jambi City, Indonesia Materials and Methods: This type of research is a quantitative study with a case-control approach involving 76 children under five, namely 38 cases and 38 control groups. The research data were analyzed using the Odds Ratio test. Results: Mothers who have less knowledge are 12 times more likely to have a toddler suffering from diarrhea than mothers who have good knowledge. Mothers with poor behavior in dealing with toddlers' defecation habits will have a 5 times greater risk of having a toddler with diarrhea problems; on the other hand, if mothers behave well in dealing with children's defecation problems, then the toddler will not be at risk of having diarrhea. The density of flies does not provide a significant risk for the incidence of diarrhea in infants. Conclusion: the incidence of diarrhea in children under five in the Putri Ayu Public Health Center in Jambi City is influenced by low parental knowledge and bad defecation behavior Keyword: Availability of latrines, Behavior, Knowledge, Diarrhea, Children