Inequalities in health care utilization for common illnesses among under five children in Bangladesh
1Institute of Health Economics, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh. moriam.ihe@du.ac.bd.
Insights
Socio-economic factors significantly impact medical treatment use for common childhood illnesses in Bangladesh. Interventions should target low-income households and include health education and poverty alleviation programs to improve child health equity.
Area of Science:
- Child health
- Public health
- Health equity
Background:
- Child mortality and morbidity remain significant global public health challenges.
- Bangladesh faces difficulties in improving child health status due to suboptimal medical treatment utilization.
- Identifying factors contributing to healthcare inequalities is crucial for effective child health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify factors contributing to inequalities in medical treatment use for common childhood illnesses in Bangladesh.
- To analyze the determinants of healthcare-seeking behavior for pediatric illnesses in the Bangladeshi context.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS)-2014.
- Included children under five experiencing diarrhea, fever, or cough within two weeks prior to the survey.
- Employed bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to identify significant predictors (p < 0.05).
Main Results:
- Medical treatment was sought by only 37% of children with fever/cough and 36% with diarrhea.
- Key factors influencing healthcare utilization included child's age, household wealth, father's education, region, household size, and media access.
- Significant inequalities in healthcare access for common childhood illnesses were identified.
Conclusions:
- Socio-economic status profoundly affects medical treatment utilization for childhood illnesses.
- Targeted interventions for low socio-economic status households are essential for equitable healthcare access.
- Health education and poverty alleviation programs, particularly in rural areas, can improve child healthcare equity.
Background:
Reducing child mortality and morbidity is a public health concern globally. Like many other developing countries, Bangladesh is struggling to improve child health status as the use of medical treatment is still not at a satisfactory level. Hence, the objective of this study is to identify the contributing factors for inequalities in the use of medical treatment for common childhood illnesses in Bangladesh.
Methods:
The study used data from the latest Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS)-2014. Children who had diarrhea, fever and cough in the 2 weeks preceding the survey were included in this study. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to unearth the influential factors for medical treatment use among under-five children with childhood illnesses. In the multivariate logistic regression, adjusted odds ratios with p values less than 0.05 were considered for determining significant predictors.
Results:
This study found that only 37% of children suffering from fever/cough sought medical treatment while this figure was approximately 36% for diarrhea. Age of children, household wealth status, father's education level, region of residence, number of children in the household, access to electronic media were identified as factors contributing to inequality in health care utilization for common childhood illnesses in Bangladesh.
Conclusions:
Various socio-economic factors substantially influence the utilization of medical treatment for childhood illnesses. Therefore, to enhance equitable access to health care for children, interventions should be designed targeting children from households with low socio-economic status. Various awareness-raising health education programs, poverty alleviation programs especially for rural areas can contribute in this regard.
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