Dynamics of Risk Determinants Regarding Diarrhea Affected Slum Children in Urban Dhaka: A Dysfunctional Health Care System

Saha, Choyon Kumar (2012) Dynamics of Risk Determinants Regarding Diarrhea Affected Slum Children in Urban Dhaka: A Dysfunctional Health Care System. Current Research Journal of Social Sciences, 4 (4). pp. 304-313. ISSN 2041-3246

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Abstract

This study attempts to focus on the socio-cultural risk determinants of health behavior which is closely associated with the severity of persistent diarrheal illness among fewer than five children. It is a dominant cause of childhood mortality and frequent faltering of infant growth of underprivileged slum children in Bangladesh. A community based cross-sectional survey was conducted on 109 mother-child pairs of 0-59 month old children at Agargaon slum of Mirpurzone in metropolitan Dhaka from July to August 2008. An explanatory model of Health Care System (HCS) was applied toexplorethe nature of health care practices during diarrheal episodes which incorporates conventional folktraditions (Fakir, Kabiraj, Hujur), popular (lay and non-professional such as family, community etc.) and professionalized traditions (modern scientific medicine) among slum women and justify the functionality of three components of HCS in relation to the risk factors associated with diarrheal treatment of respondents’ children. The findings of this study indicate that various socio-cultural factors such as unhygienic conditions (garbage, offensive smell, unclean utensils, ineffective hand washing, flies and mosquitoes etc.), eating stale and stationary food (biscuits, cake and bread) from vendors or roadsides, limited breast feeding practices, unsafe drinking water and gender discrimination in providing treatment are frequently noticed in slum areas which drive under five children to high risk of persistent diarrhea.

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