Table 4 Health seeking behaviour and malaria case management of children under-five in conflict-affected setting of the South West and Littoral Regions of Cameroon
Variables | Category | Total | Study population | p-valuea | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IDPs No (%) | Returnee No (%) | Host No (%) | ||||
Child was ill with a fever at any time in the last two weeks | Yes | 1251 | 323 (72.3) | 279 (75.8) | 649 (70.4) | 0.145 |
No | 486 | 124 (27.7) | 89 (24.2) | 273 (29.6) | ||
Blood sample during the illness | Yes | 726 | 191 (59.3) | 150 (53.8) | 385 (59.4) | 0.245 |
No | 523 | 131 (40.7) | 129 (46.2) | 263 (40.6) | ||
Malaria confirmed by a health provider | Yes | 812 | 109 (34.0) | 115 (41.5) | 205 (31.9) | 0.018 |
No | 429 | 212 (66.0) | 162 (58.5) | 438 (69.1) | ||
Seeks for illness advice/treatment | Yes | 1193 | 299 (92.6) | 268 (96.1) | 626 (96.5) | 0.021 |
No | 58 | 24 (7.4) | 11 (3.9) | 23 (3.5) | ||
Public medical sector | Government hospital | 266 | 57 (17.6) | 43 (15.4) | 166 (25.6) | < 0.001 |
Government health centre | 172 | 30 (9.3) | 42 (15.1) | 100 (15.4) | 0.026 | |
Community health worker | 457 | 81 (25.1) | 84 (30.1) | 218 (33.6) | 0.025 | |
Private medical sector | Private hospital | 102 | 37 (11.5) | 18 (6.5) | 47 (7.2) | 0.039 |
Private clinic | 95 | 11 (3.4) | 15 (5.4) | 69 (10.6) | < 0.001 | |
Pharmacy | 228 | 253 (78.3) | 231 (82.8) | 539 (83.1) | 0.176 | |
NGO medical sector | NGO hospital | 39 | 32 (9.9) | 5 (1.8) | 2 (0.3) | < 0.001 |
NGO clinic | 20 | 14 (4.3) | 2 (0.7) | 4 (0.6) | < 0.001 | |
Other source | Shop/Market | 51 | 9 (2.8) | 14 (5.0) | 28 (4.3) | 0.350 |
Traditional practitioner | 38 | 10 (3.1) | 7 (2.5) | 21 (3.2) | ||
Itinerant drug seller | 111 | 27 (8.4) | 33 (11.8) | 51 (7.9) | 0.139 | |
Number of days treatment was sought for child after the illness began | Same day | 222 | 34 (11.5) | 54 (20.4) | 134 (21.8) | < 0.001 |
One days | 273 | 65 (22.0) | 87 (32.8) | 121 (19.7) | ||
Two days | 411 | 118 (40.0) | 69 (26.0) | 224 (36.5) | ||
Three or more days | 268 | 78 (26.4) | 55 (20.8) | 135 (22.0) | ||
Care seeking category | Inadequate | 588 | 156 (48.3) | 143 (51.3) | 289 (44.6) | 0.154 |
Adequate | 662 | 167 (51.7) | 136 (48.7) | 359 (55.4) | ||