Table 2.

Descriptive analysis of the knowledge and practices regarding diarrhoeal diseases of participating physicians (N = 264)

Continuous variables	Mean	s.e.
Knowledge score* regarding
Diarrhoeal symptoms	6·92	0·11
Cholera	6·50	0·09
Occurrence and spread of diarrhea	6·81	0·18
Management of diarrhea	7·38	0·11
Prevention and control of diarrhea	8·10	0·12
Oral rehydration solutions	6·33	0·11
Knowledge score regarding diarrhoea as a whole†	70·82	0·72
Categorical variables	Category	N	%	s.e.
Knowledge regarding
Diarrhoeal diseases	Poor	99	37·50	2·99
	Average	124	46·97	3·08
	Good	41	15·53	2·23
Cholera	Poor	132	50·00	3·08
	Average	112	42·42	3·05
	Good	20	7·58	1·63
Organisms causing diarrhea	Incorrect	107	40·53	3·03
	Correct	157	59·47	3·03
Occurrence and spread of diarrhea	Poor	81	30·68	3·06
	Average	115	43·56	3·02
	Good	68	25·76	2·28
Management of diarrhea	Poor	115	43·56	2·84
	Average	106	40·15	3·06
	Good	43	16·29	2·70
Oral rehydration solutions	Poor	124	46·97	3·08
	Average	102	38·64	3·00
	Good	38	14·39	2·16
Prevention and control of diarrhea	Poor	53	20·08	2·47
	Average	93	35·23	2·95
	Good	118	44·70	3·07
Diarrhoea as a whole	Poor	113	42·80	3·05
	Average	100	37·88	2·99
	Good	51	19·32	2·43
Diarrhoea-related practices
Most important factor for prescribing antibiotic to a diarrhoea patient	Age of the patients	46	17·42	2·34
	Patients' affordability	13	4·92	1·33
	Patients' preference	3	1·14	0·65
	Severity of disease	202	76·52	2·61
Prescribing antibiotic to each of the diarrhoea patients	No	134	50·76	3·08
	Yes	130	49·24	3·08
Prescribing antibiotic to each of the cholera patients	No	53	20·08	2·47
	Yes	211	79·92	2·47
Advising laboratory test of stool to each diarrhoea patients	No	118	44·70	3·07
	Yes	146	55·30	3·07

s.e., Standard error; AM, alternative medicine/equivalent quack practitioners' training in India; MBBS, medical graduation qualification in India.

^*Measured in a scale of 10.

^†Measured in a scale of 100.