Prevalence and risk factors associated with under-five years children diarrhea in Malawi: Application of survey logistic regression

Background: Diarrhea is a leading cause of illness and mortality among children under five, posing a significant public health challenge in Malawi. The current study assesses the prevalence and risk factors linked to diarrhea among under -five children in Malawi. Method: The researcher used the Malawi Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2019-20 as the dataset for this study. Due to the complex sampling design, survey logistic regression was used to accomplish the study objectives. The sample size was 15569 children who were aged under five. Results: The study found that the prevalence of diarrhea was 24.9%, with a higher percentage observed among children aged 12-23 months (38.5%) compared to other age groups. Additionally, children from the southern region had a higher prevalence of diarrhea at 27% compared to those from the northern region at 19.3%. Children from the poorest households also had a higher prevalence of diarrhea at 28.9% compared to those from the richest households at 22.6%. Furthermore, children with fever had a higher prevalence of diarrhea at 33.3% compared to those who did not have fever at 19.4%. Conclusion: The current study concluded that the prevalence of diarrhea was higher among children aged 12-23 months. Subsequently, policymakers should apply policies to reduce this high prevalence among this age group of children. In addition, the government needs special consideration in diarrhea control for children from the southern region because of the high prevalence of the disease compared to the other regions in Malawi. My study can help policymakers understand the scope and nature of the problem, which can notify the development of policies and programs intended to decrease the prevalence of risk factors and enhance child health outcomes.