Caregiver’s Knowledge on Pneumonia Symptoms and Health Seeking Behaviour for Children Under 5 Years at Public Health Facilities in Mwanza and Shinyanga, Tanzania - Mwanza, Tanzania | Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences [CUHAS-Bugando] | 2024. - 52 Pages Includes References

Abstract:

Introduction: In children aged less than 59 months, the burden of pneumonia remains high claiming the lives of over 700,000 children every year. A UNICEF/WHO report that examined the epidemiological evidence on the burden, distribution of pneumonia and the current levels of treatment and prevention globally, showed that only about 1 in every 5 caretakers know the danger signs of pneumonia. Statistics show that although access to health services is improved, many people still do not seek medical care or do so when it is too late. In an attempt to improve health outcomes, especially of vulnerable groups, Tanzania provides free health services for children under five and pregnant women in all public health facilities. Nevertheless, there hasn't been much research done to determine the extent and risk factors for pneumonia-related delays in seeking medical attention in Tanzania. This study aimed to investigate the existing level of caregiver’s knowledge on pneumonia symptoms and understand the factors influencing their health seeking behavior in public health facilities at Mwanza and Shinyanga, Tanzania.

Methodology: A health facility based cross sectional study was conducted from 8th May to 30th June 2024 using a structured questioner to collect data from 422 caregivers of children under the age 5 using simple sampling technique for data collection. The obtained information from respondents through questionnaires was transferred into computer through IBM SPSS software version 20 for cleaning, processing and organizing for analysis. Percentages and p-value was used to assess association between independent and dependent variables. Frequencies were used to summarize categorical variables and determine the proportion of caregivers who have knowledge on recognition of pneumonia symptoms.


Results: 63.98% caregivers have poor knowledge on pneumonia signs and symptoms and the proportion of delay in seeking care is 62.3% with majority (63%) caregivers choosing health facility as their first choice of treatment. However caregivers with poor knowledge were are likely to delay than those with good knowledge (chi2 = 34.99), those admitted in inpatient departments delay seeking care compared to those in outpatient department (chi2 = 71.05) and caregivers with low level of education are more likely to delay in seeking care (chi2 = 48.91).All these factors are statistically significant.

Conclusion: The study emphasizes the knowledge deficient in recognition of pneumonia signs and symptoms among caregivers of under five children and their delay in seeking healthcare. Educational interventions aimed at enhancing knowledge on signs and symptoms of Pneumonia in under 5 children and the importance of prompt care-seeking may lead to improved health outcomes for caregivers and children.
 


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Subjects--Personal Names: --Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Behavioral Sciences