1.1 Introduction
Gastroenteritis is an illness triggered by the infection and inflammation of the digestive system. Typical symptoms include abdominal cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting. In many cases, the condition heals itself within a few days (Betterhealth, 2021). Gastroenteritis is a common cause of morbidity in young children. Studies from North America and elsewhere indicate that each year there are between 1.2 and 2.5 episodes of gastroenteritis per child aged 5 years or less (Glass et al., 1991 and Herikstad et al., 2002).
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Gastroenteritis, that was probably due to norovirus, was first described by Zahorsky in 1929 as ‘winter vomiting disease’. However the agent was not identified until 1972, when virus particles were first visualised by electron microscopy (EM) in faeces obtained from an outbreak. The outbreak had occurred in 1968 at a school in Norwalk, Ohio, US, with a high attack rate of illness among students and teachers. The illness was characterised by nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea with duration of illness of 12–24 hours (Health, 2021).
Among persons of all ages, a recent randomized control trial in Melbourne, Australia found an incidence of gastroenteritis of 0.80 cases/person/year (Hellard et al., 2001), whereas a longitudinal community study in the United Kingdom indicated a lower incidence of 0.19/person/year (Wheeler, 1999). In the main, episodes of gastroenteritis are mild and self-limiting, but they are a source of substantial morbidity in the community and may result in serious dehydration or in long-term sequelae such as reactive arthritis and haemolytic uraemic syndrome. In chil- dren gastroenteritis can be more severe. In the United States gastroenteritis accounts for 12 % of hospital admissions for children aged 0–5 years (Jin et al., 1978). In South Australia they account for 4.2 % of admissions.
Barnes (1993) estimated that for rotavirus infection alone, 50 % of all Melbourne children require medical atten- tion in their first 3 years of life. Episodes of gastroenteritis impact on daily activities of the child as well as their caregiver and can be a source of considerable discomfort. They are also potentially preventable. Notification data provide an indication of the magnitude of the childhood gastroenteritis. In South Australia, notifications of infectious diseases show that the group at highest risk of gastroenteritis are the 0–5 year-olds (CDC,1996). These data, however, are an underestimate of the prevalence of gastroenteritis in the community as not all infectious agents causing gastroenteritis are notifiable. The completeness of notification data is dependent on a number of factors: the affected child being taken to the doctor, a stool sample being taken, isolation of the causative organ- ism and a report sent to the State Health Department. Furthermore, sporadic illnesses are less likely to be notified than those associated with a disease outbreak (Morris et al., 1994).
Therefore, in Ojoto, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Incidence and Prevalence of Gastroenteritis among under Five years Children.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation revealed the main complication of gastroenteritis is dehydration, but this can be prevented if the fluid lost in vomit and diarrhoea is replaced. A person suffering from severe gastroenteritis may need fluids administered intravenously (directly into the bloodstream via a vein – the setup is often referred to as a ‘drip’). Some of the causes of gastroenteritis include viruses, bacteria, bacterial toxins, parasites, particular chemicals and some drugs.
The major risk factors for gastroenteritis were presence of persons who had gastroenteritis inside the home, contact with persons who had gastroenteritis outside the home, antibiotic use and sore throat. Medical attention was sought for 20 % of children who had gastroenteritis. Gastroenteritis is a significant cause of morbidity among young children and presents a considerable burden on the community. A substantial proportion of these occurrences of highly credible gastrointestinal symptoms may be manifestations of respiratory infections.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of gastroenteritis among under 5-year-old children in Ojoto, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To determine the impact of gastroenteritis on daily activities of child and caregiver,
- To examine the prevalence of gastroenteritis among under 5-year-old children in Ojoto,
- To investigate the incidence of gastroenteritis among under 5-year-old children in Ojoto.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- What are the incidences of gastroenteritis among under 5-year-old children?
- What is the prevalence of gastroenteritis among under 5-year-old children?
- Is there any impact of gastroenteritis on daily activities of child and caregiver?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
H0: Gastroenteritis has no significant cause of morbidity amongst young children
H1: Gastroenteritis has a significant cause of morbidity amongst young children
1.7 Significance of Study
This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.
1.8 Scope of Study
The study focuses on the Incidence and Prevalence of Gastroenteritis among under Five years Children in Ojoto, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this project work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this institution to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
