Treatment-seeking behaviour for malaria in children under five in Sudan
Author Information
Author(s): Malik Elfatih Mohamed, Hanafi Kamal, Ali Salah Hussein, Ahmed Eldirdieri Salim, Mohamed Khalid Awad
Primary Institution: National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), Federal Ministry of Health, Sudan
Hypothesis
What factors influence mothers' treatment-seeking behaviour for malaria in children under five?
Conclusion
Mothers often delay seeking care for their children with fever, indicating a need for improved home management strategies for malaria.
Supporting Evidence
- Mothers recognized fever as a key symptom of malaria.
- 60.4% of mothers sought advice from sources other than health facilities before consulting a doctor.
- The average time before attending a health facility was 67.8 hours.
Takeaway
Moms usually try to treat their sick kids at home first before going to the doctor, which can take a long time.
Methodology
Interviews with 96 mothers and focus group discussions in 10 villages.
Potential Biases
Potential bias in self-reported data from mothers regarding their treatment-seeking behaviour.
Limitations
The study is limited to a specific rural area in Sudan and may not be generalizable to other regions.
Participant Demographics
Mothers with a mean age of 26.1 years, 58.3% illiterate, mostly housewives.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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