Health seeking behaviour and factors determining it among the parents of under-five children for childhood illnesses in a selected area of Southern Karnataka: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Child mortality remains a concern worldwide. Health-seeking behavior (HSB) reflects how people make decisions about healthcare. The objectives include assessing the HSB among parents of under-five children for specific childhood illnesses (such as pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria, measles) and identifying the factors determining the HSB.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken among 215 parents of under-five children in selected areas of Bengaluru rural district. A multistage sampling method was incorporated. Data was collected by the interviewer-administered pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire and analysed using Epi-InfoTM software version 7.2.1. Chi-square test was performed to find out the association between where and why parents choose a particular healthcare facility.

Results: Among 215 participants, HSB was 100%. The most commonly perceived cause of illness was contaminated food and water (67.44%), and the most common perceived symptom was fever (62.33%). The majority of children consulted a doctor on the first day of onset of illness (41.86%) and after one episode of onset of symptoms (36.28%). The private sector (80%) was the preferred choice for seeking treatment, followed by the government sector (17.67%) and other health-facility (2.33%). The commonest reason why parents prefer to seek any health-care facility was that the illness can be cured without any complication (33.95%). Factors influencing HSB included fathers’ age and the number of episodes of symptoms before seeking treatment.

Conclusions: The HSB among the parents of under-fives was 100%. The private sector was the preferred choice. There was a strong association between where and why parents seek a particular healthcare facility.