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  • Title: Diarrhoeal disease: knowledge, attitudes and practices in an aboriginal community.
    Author: Ratnaike RN, Collings MT, Ratnaike SK, Brogan RM, Gibbs A.
    Journal: Eur J Epidemiol; 1988 Dec; 4(4):451-5. PubMed ID: 3203725.
    Abstract:
    This study was carried out in an Australian Aboriginal community in South Australia on the knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to diarrhoeal disease. Suggestions were sought on appropriate interventions. Dietary causes (including alcohol), factors relating to drinking water, poor environmental hygiene, infective agents and teething were considered by community member to be important in the causation of diarrhoea. Poor personal and domestic hygiene, and the lack of adequate bathing, toilet and laundry facilities were not considered to be important contributory factors. This may reflect the Aboriginal view of hygiene derived from many years of desert living as nomadic hunter-gatherers. The study provides valuable information to enable the selection of appropriate interventions for the control of diarrhoeal disease in this community. Researchers surveyed 29 members (mean age, 32.6 years) of the Yalata Aboriginal community in South Australia to gain knowledge on their knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of diarrheal disease; its prevention; and ways of intervening. Basically, the level of education of the participants was evenly divided. 93.1% of the respondents did not answer the question "What is a normal bowel movement?" and 51.7% did not answer "What is diarrhea?", perhaps due to the characteristic reticence and shyness of Aborigines. 89.7% believed alcohol and eating partially cooked food were the leading dietary causes of diarrhea with 51.7% believing that wombat meat causes diarrhea. Nearly everyone agreed that water causes diarrhea, especially very cold or very hot water (96.6%) and dirty water (93.1%). A bored well provided water to the community and the water must be desalinated. In terms of poor hygiene, most participants (96.6%) attributed diarrhea to poor environmental hygiene, e.g., sick dogs (37.9%) and overflowing septic tank (17%), and improperly washed dishes, rather than poor personal (17.2%) and domestic hygiene (3.4%). Only 68% believed that parents should give lots of water to children with diarrhea. In addition, 65% reported that no food should be given to an infant with diarrhea. Even though 96.6% took their children to the nursing sister for treatment of diarrhea, only 68.9% of the adults visited her themselves when ill with the same disease. When respondents were asked to suggest preventive measures community health education (93.1%) and improved waste management (75.9%) were cited most frequently. Health education (82.8%) was cited as a needed change in existing health services, rather than employing more health workers, nurses, and physicians.
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