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Determinants of delay in care-seeking for febrile children in eastern Uganda

Elizeus Rutebemberwa1, Karin Kallander, Goran Tomson

  • 1Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda. ellie@musph.ac.ug

Tropical Medicine & International Health : TM & IH
|February 19, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Poverty and severe symptoms like pallor delay treatment for febrile children under five. Seeking care at drug shops or from community medicine distributors, and prompt action, reduce delays in seeking care.

Area of Science:

  • Child Health
  • Public Health
  • Health Services Research

Background:

  • Prompt treatment for febrile illnesses in children under five is crucial for reducing morbidity and mortality.
  • Understanding factors influencing delayed healthcare seeking is essential for improving child survival rates in low-resource settings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify socioeconomic and clinical factors associated with delayed healthcare seeking for febrile children under five.
  • To explore the role of healthcare provider type and home care practices in timely treatment seeking.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 9176 children under five in the Iganga-Mayuge Demographic Surveillance Site.
  • Caretakers were interviewed using a structured questionnaire about child's symptoms, home treatment, timing of care seeking, and distance to provider.
  • Children seeking care after one night were compared with those seeking care later.

Main Results:

  • Children from the lowest socioeconomic quintile and those presenting with pallor were more likely to experience treatment delays.
  • Seeking care from drug shops or community medicine distributors (CMDs) and presenting with fast breathing were associated with reduced delays.
  • Home-based tepid sponging and perceiving a short distance to the provider also correlated with more timely care seeking.

Conclusions:

  • Poverty remains a significant barrier to timely healthcare access for febrile children, even with free services.
  • Drug shops and CMDs can play a vital role in complementing public health efforts for prompt child treatment.
  • Healthcare providers should educate caretakers on the importance of prompt care seeking, and survey methods for assessing treatment delays need refinement.
Abstract

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