Prevalence and Associated Factors of Acute Diarrheal Diseases among Children aged 1-5 years Residing in the Amritsar District.

Background: Worldwide, diarrheal diseases claim approximately 1.3 million lives annually among children under 5, making them the second leading cause of childhood mortality globally. According to the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5), diarrhea affects 7.3% of children under 5 years of age in India, while in Punjab, this figure stands at 4.9%.

Materials and methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted in rural and urban areas of the Amritsar district from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023 among children aged 1-5 years. A total of 430 study participants, aged between 1 and 5 years, were included in the sample, with equal urban-rural representation (215 each). The sample was selected from the most populous village and urban slum.

Results: The prevalence of acute diarrheal disease (ADD) over the past 3 months was found to be 23%. ADD was associated with the age of the study participants, the education level of the mother, fast food consumption, immunization status, and water storage practices.

Conclusions: Urban participants experienced a higher prevalence (35%) compared to rural participants (11%). The prevalence of ADD was approximately 3 times higher in the urban slum population in comparison to the rural population.