<![CDATA[Background : Diarrhea remains a common health problems among children under five years of Its age occurrence is associated with environmental and family behavioral factors , particularly water quality , sanitation , waste management , hand hygiene , and childcare hygiene practices . Young children are particularly important vulnerable to the effects of diarrhea because fluid loss can occur rapidly . Objective : To analyze environmental and behavioral factors associated with diarrhea among children under five years of age . Methods : This analytical quantitative study used a cross-sectional design . A total of 115 mothers or primary caregivers of children under five were selected using purposive sampling. Independent variables included water quality , latrine conditions , waste management , hand hygiene , and family hygiene behavior . The dependent variable was the occurrence of diarrhea within the previous month . Data were collected using questionnaires and environmental observation sheets . Data were analyzed using univariate and bivariate analyses with the Chi- square test . Results : Thirty-eight children (33.0%) had experienced diarrhea within the previous month . Poor water quality was found among 35 respondents (30.4%), inadequate latrine conditions among 31 respondents (27.0%), poor waste management among 43 respondents (37.4%), inadequate hand hygiene among 40 respondents (34.8%), and poor family hygiene behavior among 36 respondents (31.3%). Significant associations were found between water quality ( p = 0.008), latrine conditions ( p = 0.014), waste management ( p = 0.021), hand hygiene ( p = 0.003), and family hygiene behavior ( p = 0.001) and diarrhea occurrence among children under five . Conclusion : Environmental and behavioral factors are associated with diarrhea among children under five . Prevention efforts should focus on improving access to safe water and sanitation and strengthening family hygiene practices .]]>
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