Background: Acute diarrheal diseases (ADD) contribute significantly to preventable childhood mortality in India, particularly among children under five, who are more vulnerable to dehydration and complications.
Materials and Methods: A community-based, prospective, longitudinal study was conducted in an urban area of Goa. A total of 100 children and their mothers were enrolled through a stratified random sampling technique. House-to-house visits were conducted every three months, and mothers were interviewed using a pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire. The study was conducted over 6 months, from August 2019 to February 2020. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS software version 22. Statistical tests such as Student’s t-test and Chi-square test were applied.
Results: The incidence of ADD was 0.124 episodes per child per year. A significant association was found between ADD and socio-demographic factors such as child’s sex, birth order, birth weight, immunization status, malnutrition, maternal age, maternal education, and hygiene practices.
Conclusions: Educating mothers on timely treatment-seeking behavior, home-based management of diarrhea, the use of ORS and zinc supplementation, and the importance of hygiene practices—such as handwashing—should be emphasized to reduce the burden of ADD in children under five.