The Burden of Diarrheal Diseases among Children under Five Years of Age in Arba Minch District, Southern Ethiopia, and Associated Risk Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study

Table 1

Socioeconomic characteristics of the households in Arba Minch Zuria, 2012.

Variables	Frequency	Percent (%)
Marital status of mothers
Married	565	95.7
Single	25	4.3
Mothers’ educational status
No formal education	366	62.0
Primary school and above	224	38.0
Occupation of mother
Housewife	517	87.7
Merchant	41	6.9
Others^*	32	5.4
Fathers’ educational status
No formal education	357	60.5
Primary and above	233	39.5
Paternal occupation
Farmers	517	87.60
Merchant	40	6.80
Daily laborer	15	2.50
Others	18	3.05
Ethnicity
Gamo	462	78.71
Wolayita	91	15.50
Others^**	34	5.79
Number of U5
1	395	66.9
>1	195	29.1
Family size
<5	195	29.1
≥5	395	66.9
Maternal age (in years)
>20	12	2.1
20–24	117	19.80
25–29	186	31.5
30–34	125	21.5
≥35	150	25.42
Attended antenatal care
Yes	446	75.6
No	144	24.4
Religion
Protestant	371	62.9
Orthodox	205	34.75
Muslim	14	2.35

Government employee; daily laborer; ^**Amara, Gurage, and Oromo.