Prompt Healthcare Seeking Behavior And Associated Factors Among Caregivers Of Under Five Children With Severe Pneumonia In Jimma University Medical Center, South West Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Even though pneumonia is highly treatable and curable in most cases, it turns out to be a serious medical condition that requires long term hospitalization and becomes lifethreatening for under five children. Timely recognition of the illness and prompt seeking of health care are critical principles for preventing child deaths. However, the health care-seeking among caregivers is low in Ethiopia. So, this study aimed to determine prompt healthcare seeking behaviors and associated factors among caregivers of children with severe pneumonia aged 2–59 months in Jimma University Medical Center. Methods: The facility-based cross-sectional study design was conducted from July 15 to November 15, 2023 in Jimma University Medical Center among 247 caregivers of underfive children with severe pneumonia. Census method was used and data were collected using a structured and semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. The collected data were cleaned and entered to computer then analyzed using SPSS version 27 software. A Binary logistic regression was used to identify the associated factors of healthcare seeking behavior and considered statisticaly significant at a p-value < 0.05. Results: The proportion of prompt health care seeking among caregivers was 43.7%. Urban residence (AOR=3.39, 95%CI=1.13-10.19), diploma and higher level of education (AOR=2.01, 95%CI=1.24-16.78), employment (AOR= 9.39, 95%CI=1.09-81.27), had only one under five child in the family (AOR=5.61, 95%CI=2.07-15.22), health care decision by fathers (AOR=4.85, 95%CI=1.58-14.88), had information to seek medical care for pneumonia (AOR=15.78, 95%CI =2.07-20.07), and easy to pay the cost of peumonia treatment perception (AOR=4.42, 95%CI =1.94-10.06) were the identified determinants significantly associated with prompt in seeking health care among caregivers for their children with severe pneumonia. Conclusions: This study shows that prompt seeking of health care among caregivers were low. Urban residence, higher level of education, employment,having one under five child, father’s decision, information to seek medical care and cost perception of treatment were affecting health seeking behavior of caregivers for their children with severe pneumonia in the study area. Recommendations: Empowerment of caregivers through education, employment, provision of health seeking information of severe pneumonia required by local government and other concerned bodies.