Table 4.

Reported methods of diarrhoea prevention and management by mothers with under-five children in Assosa district, February 2010

Variable	Abramo (N=587)*		Megele 37 (N=243)*		Total (N=830)*		Chi-square statistics (χ2, p value)
	Frequency	%	Frequency	%	Frequency	%
Method for prevention of diarrhoea
Washing hands after visiting latrine	90	15.3	43	17.7	133	16	χ2=15.92, p=0.000
Washing hands before food preparation	68	11.6	29	11.9	97	11.7	χ 2=12.6, p=0.000
Washing hands after handling child's faeces	67	11.4	27	11.1	94	11.3	χ2=14.1, p=0.000
Drinking clean water	55	9.4	31	12.8	86	10.4	χ2=3.12, p=0.051
Wash hands before feeding a child	62	10.6	13	5.3	75	9	χ2=30.95, p=0.00
Wash hands before eating	50	8.5	19	7.8	69	8.3	χ2=10.2, p=0.001
Handle food hygienically	33	5.6	23	9.5	56	6.7	χ2=0.18, p=0.39
Using latrine for defaecation	36	6.1	17	7	53	6.4	χ2=3.67, p=0.038
Store water in clean container	38	6.5	11	4.5	49	5.9	χ2=11.24, P=0.001
Disposing children's faeces into toilet	38	6.5	10	4.1	48	5.8	χ2=12.69, P=0.00
Treating water with chemicals/chlorine	38	6.5	9	3.7	47	5.7	χ2=14.26, p=0.000
I do not know	12	2	11	4.5	23	2.8	χ2=0.19, p=0.41
Management of diarrhoea
Seek modern treatment	123	52.8	96	81.4	219	62.4	χ 2=0.14, p=0.67
Giving ORS	36	15.5	12	10.2	48	13.7	χ 2=8.45, p=0.003
Feeding breastmilk	16	6.9	2	1.7	18	5.1	χ 2=8.35, p=0.003
Giving homemade fluids	24	10.3	6	5.1	30	8.5	χ 2=7.76, p=0.003
Stop feeding	8	3.4	1	0.8	9	2.6	χ 2=4.0, p=0.043
Take to traditional healers	21	9	0	0	21	6	χ 2=17.8, p=0.000
Do not know	5	2.1	1	0.8	6	1.7	χ 2=1.81, p= 0.18

*Total number of responses counted (an individual has responded more than once)