Abstract

Diarrhea is a leading cause of death and morbidity worldwide, and children are particularly susceptible to it. In Nigeria, the prevalence of childhood diarrhea is rising. This study investigated impact of health education intervention on knowledge, prevention and management of diarrhea among mother of children under five years old, in rural areas in Owo Local Government Area (LGA) of Ondo State, Nigeria. The study employed a quasi-experimental design composing of pre-test and post-test design. The sample for this study was 30 respondents. Two instruments were used for the study. Findings shows that health education intervention has significant effects on mean score knowledge of mothers of children under five years in the study area toward diarrhea (pre-test x̅ =26.3; post-test  x̅ =39.0, p< 0.00). The study also further revealed that age (t-value = -43.1, p< 0.00) and level of education (t-value = -43.2 p< 0.00) have significant influence on knowledge of mother about diarrhea in the study area. In conclusion, health education has a significant impact on knowledge, prevention and management of diarrhea among mothers of under five children. It is recommended that government enhance efforts to provide access to clean water and promote immunisation against rotavirus which cause diarrhea.