A STUDY TO ASSESS MOTHERS’ HEALTH SEEKING BEHAVIOR FOR CHILDHOOD ILLNESSES IN AN URBAN SETTLEMENT IN MAHARASHTRA, INDIA

Dr Shailesh Palve; Dr Lalit Sankhe

Volume : VI, Issue : III, March - 2016

A STUDY TO ASSESS MOTHERS’ HEALTH SEEKING BEHAVIOR FOR CHILDHOOD ILLNESSES IN AN URBAN SETTLEMENT IN MAHARASHTRA, INDIA

Dr Shailesh Palve, Dr Lalit Sankhe

Abstract :

 Background and objectives: Each year 27 million children are born in India. Around 10 per cent of them do not survive to 5 years of age. In absolute figures, India contributes to 25 per cent of the over 9.0 million under five deaths occurring worldwide every year. Nearly half of the under five deaths occur in neonatal period.1 In most developing countries, large number of children dies without ever reaching a health facility due to delays in seeking care. Mother’s in developing countries, often do not have sufficient knowledge of signs that their child‘s health is in danger, or of appropriate treatments, or access to appropriate health services. Thus the aim of the study was to assess mother’s health seeking behaviour for childhood illnesses. Methods: Total 386 numbers of mothers having under five children with h/o sickness within the last 3 months preceding the visit were interviewed over a period of 4 months. Results: Total 347 mothers actually involved in study whose mean age was 27 years while 402 were total no of children of which 305 were sick & mean age was 27.13 month. In which 152 were male and 153 were female children. Most of the children had ARI (175) followed by diarrhoea (102) and skin infection (12). Of all 82% children got treatment mainly at pharmacist 38.8%, private doctor 29.6 %, govt hospital 26.8%. Main reasons for not seeking treatment were not considered necessary by 43.6%, followed by self medication 34.5% and no money14.5%. Conclusion: Around 3/4th of under five children were found to be sick. Treatment not considered necessary & self medication were the major reasons for not seeking care. Strengthening of the community health education awareness programme is needed to increase mothers’ awareness about childhood illness.