Demographic and Health Survey 2009-10 - Timor-Leste Ministry of ...

11.6 DIARRHEAL DISEASE
Dehydration caused by severe
diarrhea is a major cause of morbidity and
mortality among young children in Timor-
Leste, although the condition can be easily
treated with oral rehydration therapy (ORT)
and zinc. Exposure to diarrhea-causing
agents is frequently related to the use of
contaminated water and to unhygienic
practices in food preparation and disposal of
excreta. In the 2009-10 TLDHS, mothers
were asked whether any of their children
under 5 years of age had diarrhea during the
two weeks preceding the survey. If a child
had diarrhea, the mother was asked about
feeding practices during the diarrheal episode
and about what actions were taken to treat the
diarrhea. However, the validity of this
indicator is affected by the mother’s
perception of diarrhea as an illness and her
capacity to recall the events. Moreover,
because the prevalence of diarrhea varies
seasonally, the results of the 2009-10
TLDHS—which pertain to the fieldwork
period from August to February—should be
interpreted with caution.
11.6.1 Incidence and Treatment of
Diarrhea
Table 11.7 shows the percentage of
children under age 5 with diarrhea in the two
weeks preceding the survey, by selected
background characteristics. Overall, 16
percent of all children under the age of 5 had
diarrhea in the two weeks before the survey,
and 1 percent had diarrhea with blood.
Not surprisingly, very young
children are least likely to have had diarrhea,
presumably because most of them are
exclusively breastfed and hence less exposed
to contaminated food. Diarrhea is relatively
more common among young children age 6–
11 months (22 percent) and age 12–23
Table 11.7 Prevalence of diarrhea
Percentage of children under age 5 who had diarrhea in the two
weeks preceding the survey, by background characteristics, Timor-
Leste 2009-10
Background
characteristics
Diarrhea in the two weeks preceding the
survey
All diarrhea
Diarrhea with
blood
Number of
children
Age in months