Healthcare-seeking Practices for Common Childhood Illnesses in Northeastern Albania: A Community-based Household Survey

Introduction: Appropriate medical care-seeking could prevent a significant number of child deaths and complications due to ill health.

Objectives: The purpose of our study was to assess care-seeking behaviour of mothers during childhood illnesses and its influencing factors.

Methods: A cross-sectional household survey was conducted in June-July 2012. 600 mothers of children 0-23 months old were selected randomly using a two-stage 30-cluster sampling technique in the three districts of the Diber region. Data collected generated information on 2-week child morbidity and care-seeking practices for acute respiratory infections (ARI) and diarrhoea. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to show frequency distributions and associations.

Results: The prevalence of ARI and diarrhoea were 11.2% and 11.5 %, respectively. Eighty-seven (64%) children were taken to a health facility for advice or treatment. For most of the children (59.6%) care-seeking started on the second and subsequent days of perceived onset of illness. Paediatricians at public hospitals were the most frequently consulted providers, visited by 58 (66.7%) mothers. Mothers’ urban residence (OR=6.09, 95% CI: 1.14-41.72), having a male child (OR=6.02, 95% CI: 1.77-20.4), third and above wealth index (OR=6.02, 95% CI: 1.77-20.4), and knowledge of four or more child danger signs (OR=2.01, 95% CI: 1.04-7.22) increased the odds of ‘prompt’ care seeking.

Conclusions: The prevalence of appropriate healthcare-seeking behaviour in Diber is not adequate. Reinforcement of community based Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses program may improve mothers’ ability to recognize danger signs of childhood illness and care-seeking behaviour.