Role of social factors in the prevalence of diarrhoeal diseases in under-five Saudi children.

Social factors influencing diarrhoea prevalence rates, in Saudi communities, were studied during 1991 taking statistically representative samples from the whole population. The factors included mother's age, child's age, birth order, parent's education, feeding pattern, and urban, rural, and regional residences. This study was a part of the National Maternal and Child Health Survey which involved interviewing of 6308 women with 8292 children under 5 years. The social factors and diarrhoea occurring in children during the preceding 14 days prior to the date of survey were inquired into and recorded in the pre-coded and field-tested questionnaire forms. There were 3.8 episodes of diarrhoea per year per child under 5 or 15 per cent per 2 weeks. This was higher than previously reported. The factors associated with higher prevalence rate were the children of youngest (15-19-years-old) mothers (28 per cent), the last children (18 per cent), and the children aged 6-17 months (24-31 per cent). Additionally, by birth order, the last (third) child on the average had highest rate (18 per cent) than the second (9 per cent) and the second had higher rate than the first (6 per cent) child. The rate in those who lived in rural setting was higher (15 per cent) than in those who lived in urban setting (14 per cent). The rates were almost identical between the areas of the country (13-17 per cent) except having higher rate in the northern area (17 per cent).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)