Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Abstract: This study was carried out on a representative sample consisting of 429 households in Gaziantep. The prevalance of diseases with diarrhoea was found to be 22.9% among children under five years old in the two weeks preceding the survey. It was observed that 51.3% of children with diarrhoea were taken to a medical facility, the mean duration of the diarrhoea was 4.5±3.8 days, and the rate of children with diarrhoea during the preceding 24 hours was 11.8%. It was also determined that the rate of children with diarrhoea whose intake of fluids was increased was 65.1%, the ratio of children with diarrhoea treated with ORT (Oral Rehydration Therapy) was 20%, and the ratio of children with diarrhoea given treatment at home was 7.7%. The Chi-Square test was used in the statistical analysis of data. The number of recommendations of ORT in health facilities was found to be low in this study.

Key Words: Diarrhoea, Children, Prevalance.