Abstract
BackgroundSevere childhood illnesses present a major public health challenge for Africa, which is aggravated by a suboptimal response to the child's health problems with reference to the health-seeking behaviour of the parents or guardians. We examined the health-seeking behaviour of parents at the Kenyan coast because understanding impediments to optimal health-seeking behaviour could greatly contribute to reducing the impact of severe illness on children's growth and development.Methods and ResultsHealth-seeking behaviour, and the factors influencing this behaviour, were examined in two traditional communities. We held in-depth interviews with 53 mothers, fathers and caregivers from two rural clinics at the Kenyan Coast. Biomedical medicine (from health facilities and purchased over the counter) was found to be the most popular first point of treatment. However, traditional healing still plays a salient role in the health care within these two communities. Traditional healers were consulted for various reasons: a) attribution of causation of ill-health to supernatural sources, b) chronic illness (inability of modern medicine to cure the problem) and c) as prevention against possible ill-health. In developing an explanatory model of decision-making, we observed that this was a complex process involving consultation at various levels, with elders, but also between both parents, depending on the perceived nature and chronicity of the illness. However, it was reported that fathers were the ultimate decision makers in relation to decisions concerning where the child would be taken for treatment.ConclusionsHealth systems need to see traditional healing as a complementary system in order to ensure adequate access to health care. Importantly, fathers also need to be addressed in intervention and education programs.
Highlights
Each year, millions of children die of preventable and treatable conditions - largely in low- and middle-income countries - because they do not access biomedical treatment in a timely manner [1]
Inadequate financial resources and an under-resourced health care system contribute to delay in accessing medical facilities
Traditional medicine is used to indicate all nonbiomedical treatment sought, and these treatments are based on cultural beliefs and practices
Summary
Millions of children die of preventable and treatable conditions - largely in low- and middle-income countries - because they do not access biomedical treatment in a timely manner [1]. Among those who survive early severe ill-health, there is documented impairment in cognitive and social emotional functioning which can persist, causing a significant impact on the individual, the household and the community [2,3]. Inadequate financial resources and an under-resourced health care system contribute to delay in accessing medical facilities These two cardinal factors only partially explain the observed trends in low uptake of optimal treatment patterns [4]. We examined the health-seeking behaviour of parents at the Kenyan coast because understanding impediments to optimal health-seeking behaviour could greatly contribute to reducing the impact of severe illness on children’s growth and development
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