Background
Methods
Study design and area
Sample size determination and sampling procedures
Operational definitions/measurements
Data processing and analysis
Ethical considerations
Results
Socio-demographic and economic characteristics of respondents
Variable (n = 410) | Frequency | Percent (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Age of the mothers | 18–24 years | 58 | 14.1 |
25–34 | 237 | 57.8 | |
35–49 | 111 | 27.1 | |
50+ | 4 | 1.0 | |
Marital status | Married | 369 | 90.0 |
Single | 28 | 6.8 | |
Divorced | 12 | 2.9 | |
Widowed | 1 | 0.2 | |
Family size | < 5 | 162 | 40 |
5–7 | 215 | 52.4 | |
8+ | 33 | 8.1 | |
Mothers` occupation | House wife | 369 | 90.0 |
Farmer | 29 | 7.1 | |
Merchant | 10 | 2.4 | |
Daily laborer | 2 | 0.5 | |
Education of mothers | Unable to read and write | 356 | 86.8 |
Able to read and write | 54 | 13.2 | |
Husbands’ education (n = 369) | Unable to read and write | 154 | 39.2 |
Able to read and write | 215 | 60.8 |
Mothers’/caregivers’ health care seeking behavior during child illness
Variables | Frequency | % |
---|---|---|
Health care seeking behavior | ||
Health facility | 200 | 48.8 |
Not seek at all | 99 | 24.1 |
Buying drugs by themselves | 46 | 11.2 |
Traditional healers | 28 | 6.8 |
Homemade treatment | 22 | 5.4 |
Holy water | 15 | 3.7 |
Perceived need for seeking early health care | ||
Children need health care early regardless of disease type | 304 | 74.2 |
Depends on the disease types | 87 | 21.2 |
No need of seeking health care early at all | 19 | 4.6 |
Reported common child illness in the past three monthsa | ||
Fever | 213 | 52 |
Cough or difficulty of breathing | 203 | 49.5 |
Diarrhea | 185 | 45.1 |
Decision to seek heath care at health institution during child illness | ||
Mother | 72 | 18.5 |
Father | 57 | 14 |
Both father and mother | 277 | 67.5 |
Awareness of signs indicating severe illnessa | ||
When the child is unable to feed or suck breast | 317 | 77.3 |
When a child shows behavioral change | 256 | 62.4 |
When the disease stayed for days | 118 | 33.7 |
Perceived cause of child illnessa | ||
Curse from God | 173 | 42.2 |
Micro-organisms | 190 | 46.3 |
Food contamination | 116 | 28.3 |
Evil eye | 73 | 17.8 |
Factors associated with mothers’/caregivers’ health care seeking behavior for their children illnesses
Variables | Seek health care | COR(95% CI) | AOR(95% CI) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yes | No | ||||
Child age | < 24 months | 108 | 91 | 1.54 (1.04–2.27) | 1.70 (1.08–2.68)* |
> 24 months | 92 | 119 | 1 | 1 | |
Sex of child | Male | 108 | 98 | 1.34 (0.91–1.98) | |
Female | 92 | 112 | 1 | ||
Awareness on Childhood illness | yes | 173 | 132 | 3.79 (2.31–6.20) | 3.83 (2.18–6.72)** |
No | 27 | 78 | 1 | 1 | |
Perceived illness severity | Not sever | 125 | 185 | 0.2 3 (0.14–0.37) | 0.17 (0.09–0.30)** |
Sever | 75 | 25 | 1 | 1 | |
Dichotomized wealth*** | Poor | 109 | 137 | 0.64 (0.43–0.95) | |
Rich | 91 | 73 | 1 | ||
Mothers’ perception on early treatment regardless of disease type | Yes | 170 | 134 | 3.21 (1.99–5.19) | 3.48 (2.00–6.07)** |
No | 30 | 76 | 1 | 1 | |
Distance from heath institution | <= 5 kms | 135 | 124 | 1.44 (0.96–2.16) | |
Distance from heath institution | <= 5 kms | 135 | 124 | 1.44 (0.96–2.16) | |
>5kms | 65 | 86 | 1 |