Childhood Diarrhoea Management Practices Among Caregivers in Ogun State, South West Nigeria: A Community-Based Study

Diarrhoeal disease remains a leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality in Nigeria, particularly in communities with limited access to clean water and adequate sanitation. Appropriate home management, including oral rehydration therapy (ORT), is central to reducing diarrhoea-related fatalities. This community-based descriptive study evaluates caregivers' knowledge and practice of diarrhoea management among children under five years in Ogun State, South West Nigeria. A total of 298 caregivers from rural and peri-urban communities in Ijebu North and Abeokuta South local government areas participated in the study. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics. Awareness of oral rehydration salts (ORS) was reported by 68.1% of respondents, though only 41.5% had administered ORS during the most recent diarrhoea episode. Homemade salt-sugar solution was used by 22.3% of caregivers, and 35.6% administered antidiarrhoeal medications. Restriction of feeding during diarrhoea episodes was practised by 47.2% of caregivers, a practice associated with worsened nutritional outcomes. Caregivers with formal education were significantly more likely to use ORS correctly (p less than 0.05). Barriers to appropriate management included limited ORS availability at community level, misconceptions about fluid restriction, and high cost of commercial ORS sachets. The study recommends increasing ORS availability through community-based drug distribution and scaling up caregiver education through village health workers. Keywords: diarrhoea management, oral rehydration, caregivers, under-five children, Ogun State.