THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MOTHER'S KNOWLEDGE AND THE OCCURRENCE OF DIARRHEA IN TODDLERS IN THE WORKING AREA OF PUSKESMAS KESAMBI, CIREBON CITY

Diarrhea is a condition characterized by an increased frequency of bowel
movements with stool that is soft or watery in consistency. This disease can be
transmitted from person to person through poor hygiene or through contaminated
food and beverages. This study aims to determine the relationship between the
level of maternal knowledge and the incidence of diarrhea in toddlers in the
working area of the Kesambi Health Center, Cirebon City.The background of the
study is based on the high prevalence of diarrhea among toddlers in the area, with
risk factors closely related to the lack of maternal understanding regarding the
prevention and management of diarrhea. The research design used a quantitative
method with a cross-sectional approach. The population consisted of all mothers
with toddlers (0–5 years old) in the working area of the Kesambi Health Center. A
total of 61 respondents were selected using simple random sampling.Data were
collected using a questionnaire to assess the mothers’ level of knowledge and
secondary data from medical records to determine the incidence of diarrhea.
Bivariate analysis was conducted using the Chi-Square test.The results showed
that the majority of respondents (77.0%) had a low level of knowledge, while the

incidence of diarrhea in toddlers reached 75.4%. The statistical test resulted in a p-
value of 0.000 (p < 0.05), indicating a significant relationship between the

mother's level of knowledge and the incidence of diarrhea in toddlers.It is
concluded that a low level of maternal knowledge contributes to the high
incidence of diarrhea among toddlers. Therefore, continuous health education
efforts are needed through health centers and community health posts (posyandu)
to improve maternal knowledge and reduce the incidence of diarrhea.