Traditional home practices and health seeking behavior among rural mothers who have sick children

ABSTRACT

Diseases among young children are the major causes of morbidity and mortality particularly in the developing countries. The majority of these morbidities are due to infections, parasitic diseases, diarrhoea and respiratory disease. Health and illness for these children are a result of a complex dynamic of environmental, social, political and economic factors. No single intervention will successfully interrupt the cycle of morbidity and mortality among these children. Children morbidity represents an economic burden through the use of health facilities, health workers time and lost working hours, together with the cost of treatment of these diseases and their complications. Traditional home practices may have directly or indirectly effect on the health of children. To estimate the prevalence of two weeks morbidity and some social and environmental determinants among children less than 5 years in rural area; to identify maternal personal hygiene for sick children with acute diarrhea. In addition, to study the maternal traditional home practices and health seeking behavior for sick children. Cross section study was implemented through interviewing 100 mothers living in rural areas and whose children less than 5 years either at their homes in Betebs village or at RHU. Two weeks morbidity among rural children less than 5 years was high [37%]. Diarrhoea prevalence was 29.7%. Higher percentage of mothers who have children suffered from diarrhea were stored water [54.5%] and [45.5%] were not cover stored water. In addition, all mothers whose children with diarrhoea did not wash their hands with soap and water before cooking. Moreover, only 18.2% of them washed their hands after toilet. Also, mothers/mothers in law were the most important persons as advisors for care seeking among mothers who have children that they suffered from diarrhoea [45.5%]. About eighteen percent of them depend on either their experience or community health nurse, as advisors for care seeking. Health educational program to the community should high light the importance of hand washing with soap and water before cooking, after toilet and after child defecate. Also, intensify sending massages related to home management such as increase fluides, give ORS, ORT and continue BF in mass media and home management skills Health authority personnel should pay attention to the role of community nurse in health education of rural mothers and change their sanitary practices