title: The epidemiology of acute diarrhoea in a rural community in Imo State, Nigeria.
abstract: As part of an evaluation of a water supply and sanitation project, a baseline cross-sectional study of diarrhoea, and its putative risk factors, was conducted in 5 villages in Imo State, Nigeria. Data were collected from 4641 and 5920 persons during surveys in the dry and wet seasons, respectively. 8 d period prevalence rates for diarrhoea ranged from 5 to 50%, with the highest rates occurring in the 6 to 23 month age group. Diarrhoea was associated with up to 75% of all illnesses in young children and with about 20% in adults. Risk factors included lower socio-economic status, an unclean domestic environment, use of non-purified water, absence of soap, and feeding methods other than exclusive breast-feeding in the early months of infancy. These results suggest that the education component of water supply and sanitation projects should emphasize personal and domestic hygiene and infant feeding.
authors.affiliation: Tropical Epidemiology Unit, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Huttly
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Blum
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Kirkwood
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Emeh
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Feachem
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004782:Environmental Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D012621:Seasons; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors