Abstract
Background: Diarrhoeal disease remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children under five years particular in low income countries. Caregiver knowledge and practice play a critical role in its management. This study assessed the effectiveness of health educational intervention on mothers’ knowledge and practices regarding diarrhoea management.
Objective: Depression and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) are among the most prevalent mental disorders in correctional settings and contribute substantially to psychological distress, impaired functioning, and poor quality of life among inmates. Despite the growing burden of mental health problems in prisons, evidence from Northeastern Nigeria remains limited.
Methods: Quasi-experimental study design was used among 382 mothers of under five children comprising of 193 in study group and 189 in control group. Baseline data on socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge and practices were collected using structured questionnaire. The study group received a health intervention, while the control group did not. Data were analysed using frequency and percentages, mean and standard deviation and chi-square with level of significance set at p ˂ 0.05.
Results: The mean ages of mothers who participated in the study were 27.23±8.3 years in the study group and 26.25±9.33years in the control group. There was no significant difference in socio-demographic characteristics except for ethnicity (p = 0.001) and educational status (p = 0.002). At baseline, knowledge of diarrhoea management was generally low to moderate in both groups with no significant difference (p ˂ 0.05). Knowledge of ORS use was high (89.6%), while knowledge of exclusive breastfeeding (10.4% study group and 9.0% control group) and zinc supplementation was (43.6% study group and 43.4% control group) and complementary feeding (14.0% in both groups) was poor. Post-intervention, the study group demonstrated significant improvements in knowledge; exclusive breastfeeding rose from 10.4% to 94.8%, zinc use from 43.6% to 91.2% and complementary feeding from 14.0% to 97.4% compared to minimal changes in the control group (p ˂ 0.05). Harmful practices such as use of non-prescribed drugs, withholding food and water and poor breastfeeding practices that were common at baseline in both groups (p = 0.905), significantly reduced in the study group following the intervention. Educational level was significantly associated with diarrhoea management practices in the control group (p = 0.032) but not in the study group (p = 0.062) suggesting that the intervention mitigated disparities related to education.
Conclusion: The health education intervention significantly improves mothers’ knowledge and reduced harmful practices in management of childhood diarrhoea. Scaling up such interventions could enhance appropriate home management and reduce diarrhoea related morbidity and mortality among under five children.

Key words: Diarrhoea, Health Education, Mothers, Knowledge, Management, Borno.