Abstract

Background: Diarrhea is the world's second-biggest cause of death among children. Children suffer from severe
dehydration due to the lack of understanding of treating diarrhea properly. Objective: This study aimed to assess
the level of community knowledge and attitudes toward the treatment of diarrhea in children. Methods: This was
an observational, cross-sectional study conducted in a community in Gresik, Indonesia, in 2019. A Likert scale
questionnaire, consisting of 10 items on knowledge and five on community attitudes on diarrhea management in
children, was used to collect data. Results: One hundred and seven participants responded to the survey, and
89.72% were women. 'Respondents' mean age was 41.84 ± 11.27 years with various levels of education. It was
found that the community had good knowledge of diarrhea management in children, as shown by the finding that
84.11% of the participants provided the correct answers. About 87.85% of the participants were aware of the
signs and symptoms of diarrhea in children. However, there is still a shortage of understanding about managing
diarrhea properly, particularly when identifying the necessary medicine. About 89.72% of the participants
demonstrated a "positive" attitude in diarrhea management, while approximately 78.51% agreed that children
with diarrhea should be given oral rehydration. Conclusion: The knowledge about recognizing signs and
symptoms of diarrhea in children was good, while the knowledge about diarrhea management needed to be
improved. Overall, the respondents had a positive attitude about diarrhea management in children.

Keywords: attitude, children, diarrhoea, knowledge, medication use