Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) of Mothers on the use of Oral Rehydration Salt (ORS) in Children with Diarrhoea: A Cross-Sectional Survey Conducted at Dar-ul-Sehat Hospital, Karachi.

Objective: To assess knowledge, attitude and practices of mothers on the use of ORS in diarrhoea in children Method: This cross-sectional KAP study was conducted in the Department of Paediatrics, Dar-ul- Sehat hospital, Karachi from February 2015 to 30 April 2015. Sampling type was non-probability convenience and the sample size was 200. Mothers who were local residents, opted for participation in the study, accompanying children in OPD and ward and also accompanying women having children were included in the study. Mothers unable to understand the language and/or perceive the questions were excluded. Results: The mean age of the mothers was 28.7 ± 3.7 years. Mean age of the children was 20 ± 16 months. Socioeconomically 170 (85%) families were earning >Rs. 20,000/month. Most of the fathers and mothers (n=170, 85% and n=128, 64%) had completed graduation. Significant majority of fathers (n=167, 84%) were on job. Regarding mothers 180 (90%) were house wives. Ninety four (47%) of the mothers had correct understanding of diarrhoea while one hundred one (51%) knew about ORS. Significant majority (n=180,90%) thought ORS was good in diarrhoea while one hundred forty one (71%) consulted a doctor. Family members (n=114, 57%) contributed most to the information given on ORS. Conclusion: Majority of the mothers had a correct understanding of diarrhoea, knew about ORS and sought a doctors' advice when the child had diarrhoea. More than eighty percent of the mothers knew how to prepare ORS and thought that ORS was beneficial for diarrhoea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]