May 15, 2025 Journal article Open Access

BY: SHIMELIS ALEMAYEHU

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{
  "DOI": "10.20372/nadre:7015", 
  "author": [
    {
      "family": "BY: SHIMELIS ALEMAYEHU"
    }
  ], 
  "issued": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2025, 
        5, 
        15
      ]
    ]
  }, 
  "abstract": "<p>Background: Healthcare seeking behaviour is a sequence of corrective actions taken to address perceived ill-health in order to find appropriate treatment. Even though appropriate healthcare seeking behaviour can reduce morbidity and mortality in children under-five age from preventable and treatable diseases, it has become a significant public health issue in developing countries like Ethiopia. Despite being a public health issue, there is a limited study on healthcare-seeking behaviour among caregivers of under-five children during illnesses in my study area. Objective: To assess prevalence and its predictors of healthcare seeking behaviour for common childhood illnesses among mothers/caregivers with under five children in Tulo district, West Harerghe Zone, East Ethiopia, 2024. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study conducted from May 8 to June 23, 2024, among urban and rural participants. Multistage stage sampling technique was employed with a total of 634 participants by structured questionnaire using face-to-face interviews via Kobo Toolbox and SPSS version 27 for data analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were done to assess the association between caregivers&rsquo; healthcare seeking behaviour and independent variables. Finally, odds ratios with 95% confidence interval were used to measure the strength of association and statistical significance was set at p-value &lt; 0.05. Result: A total of 618 participants with a response rate of 97.5% were participated in the study. The overall prevalence of health care seeking behaviour for common childhood illness was 72.2% (95% CI: 66.4%-78%). Moreover, caregivers&rsquo; age from 15-19year (AOR=4.433; 95%CI: 1.431-13.731) and 25-29year(AOR=2.841;95%CI:1.073-7.518), educational status (AOR=0.185; 95%CI: 0.043, 0.801), and perceived severity of illnesses (AOR=2.613; 95%CI: 1.186, 5.757) were predictors of health seeking behaviour for common childhood illnesses Conclusion: The prevalence of health care seeking behaviour for common childhood illnesses in the study area was higher than in some other parts of Ethiopia. Age and educational status of mothers/caregivers, and perceived illness severity were factors influencing this behaviour. Therefore, providing continuous health education and promotion of health strategies to strengthen caregivers&rsquo; healthcare seeking behaviour are very important</p>", 
  "title": "MOTHERS' CARE-SEEKING BEHAVIOR FOR COMMON  CHILDHOOD ILLNESSES AND ITS PREDICTORS AT TULO  DISTRICT, WEST HARERGHE, ETHIOPIA, 2024", 
  "type": "article-journal", 
  "id": "7015"
}