Knowledge of diarrhea and socioeconomic factors in relation to the use of oral rehydration therapy in Samut Songkhram Province, Thailand.

A study to determine the association between the use of oral rehydration therapy (ORT) by mothers who had children under five years old with diarrhea and their knowledge of diarrhea was conducted in 19 health centers and a hospital at Muang District, Samut Songkhram Province. It was found that in general there was significant association between the use of ORT and mother's knowledge of diarrhea. This significant association was still evident after considering socioeconomic factors such as age, occupation, education and economic status. It was also noted that mothers with high knowledge of diarrhea gave ORT to their children under five with diarrhea two times more frequently than mothers with low knowledge of diarrhea. The present study confirms the impact of knowledge of diarrhea on the use of ORT.