Journal Article

Health care utilization for common childhood illnesses in rural parts of Ethiopia: evidence from the 2016 Ethiopian demographic and health survey

Alene, Muluneh, Yismaw, Leltework, Berelie, Yebelay, Kassie, Bekalu

2019

Overview

Background Generally, health care utilization in developing countries is low particularly rural community have lower health care utilization. Despite this fact, little is known about the magnitude and determinants of health care utilization for common childhood illnesses in Ethiopia. Thus, this study was conducted to determine the magnitude and to identify determinants of health care utilization for common childhood illnesses in the rural parts of Ethiopia. Methods For this study, data were obtained from the 2016 Ethiopian demographic and health survey. A total of 1576 mothers of under-five children were included in the analysis. Data analysis was performed using R software. Both univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis were fitted to identify the determinants of health care utilization. Variables with a 95% confidence interval for odds ratio excluding one were considered as significant determinants of the outcome. Results The findings of this study revealed that only half (49.7%) (95%CI: 46.1–53.4%), 40.9% (95%CI 37.6–44.2%), and 38.0% (95%CI: 34.7–41.4%) of the children utilized health care for diarrhea, fever, and cough, respectively. Children age between 12 and 23 months (AOR: 1.58, 95%CI: 1.08–2.31), maternal education (AOR: 1.96, 95%CI: 1.34–2.88), and giving birth at health facilities (AOR: 1.49, 95%CI: 1.04–2.13) were found to be the determinants of health care utilization for diarrhea. Marital status (AOR: 0.25, 95%CI: 0.06–0.81), husbands’ education (AOR: 1.37, 95%CI: 1.01–1.86), and giving birth at health facilities (AOR: 1.51, 95%CI: 1.09–2.10) were factors significantly associated with health care utilization for fever. Children age between 12 and 23 months (AOR: 1.51, 95%CI: 1.03–2.22), maternal education (AOR: 1.70, 95%CI: 1.18–2.44), and giving birth at health facilities (AOR: 1.74, 95%CI: 1.23–2.46) were significantly associated with health care utilization for cough. Conclusions Low health care utilization for childhood illnesses was noticed. The health care utilization for diarrhea and cough was lower for children of ages between 0 and 11 months, mothers without formal education and home-delivered children’s. The health care utilization for fever was lower for separated parents, husbands without formal education, giving birth at home and from the poorest family. Programs to improve the educational status of a household are essential for better care utilization and children development.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Behavior / Biostatistics / Birth / Births / Caregivers / Child development / Child health / Childbirth & labor / Childhood / Childhood illnesses / Children / Children & youth / Childrens health / Confidence intervals / Cough / Data analysis / Data processing / Delivery (Childbirth) / Demographics / Developing countries / Diarrhea / EDHS / Education / Environmental Health / Epidemiology / Equity / Ethiopia / Fever / Health aspects / Health behavior / Health care / Health care facilities / Health facilities / health promotion and society / Health services utilization / Health surveys / Healthcare seeking / Illnesses / Information management / LDCs / Marriage / Maternal & child health / Medical care utilization / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Mortality / Parent educational background / Parents / Pediatric diseases / Pediatric research / Public Health / Regression analysis / Research Article / Rural area / Rural areas / Rural communities / Rural population / Socioeconomic factors / Statistical analysis / Studies / Surveys / Utilization / Vaccine