PREVALENCE OF SELECTED MINOR AILMENTS OF UNDER FIVE CHILDREN AND TREATMENT SEEKING BEHAVIOR AMONG MOTHERS ATTENDING IMMUNIZATION CLINIC IN SELECTED HOSPITAL, KOLKATA

 

Subarna Adhya ¹, Reshmi Das ²

 

¹ Assistant Professor, Nursing, Jagannath Gupta Institute of Nursing Sciences, Kolkata, India

² Associate Professor, Institute of Nursing, Brainware University, West Bengal, India

 

1. INTRODUCTION

“The children are the future citizen of the nation”

The Healthy development of children is an investment in national development and productivity. The Importance of ensuring child health, as an investment for future  cannot be ignored. The developments of many countries have yielded little when this aspect has been over looked. A productive and energetic population cannot grow from   unhealthy children who are chronically affected by repeated minor ailments. It is absolutely essential to protect the child’s health to build a sound foundation for the health of the nation.

According to W.H.O. estimation 9.2 million children die every year before reaching their fifth birth day. Diarrheal diseases kill almost 2 million children in a year. Every week, 31,000 children in low income countries die from diarrheal diseases approximately 4,500 deaths every single day. Diarrheal diseases and acute respiratory infection account for a significant morbidity and mortality among children. 20% of death occurs due to acute respiratory infection. Approximately 70% of all children death are associated with one or more of disease condition like diarrhea, acute respiratory infection and other minor diseases.  Park (2023)

 

2. RESEARCH PROBLEM

Assessment of prevalence of selected minor ailments of under five children and treatment seeking behavior among the mothers attending the immunization clinic in             selected hospital, Kolkata.

 

3. OBJECTIVES

1)     To identify the prevalence of selected minor ailments of the under five children in selected immunization clinic.

2)     To find out the treatment seeking behavior among mothers for their children.

3)     To find out the reasons of seeking any treatment for minor ailment of under five children.

4)     To identify reasons of not seeking treatment for minor ailment of under five children.

5)     To identify the association between treatment seeking behavior and selected variables.

 

4. MATERIAL AND METHODS

The investigator adopted descriptive survey research approach with descriptive survey research design to accomplish the study objectives. She selected 100 mothers of under five children by convenient sampling technique in one selected immunization clinic of NRS Medical College & hospital, West Bengal. Permission was taken from the higher authorities of the NRS Medical College & hospital, West Bengal. Data were collected with valid and reliable semi-structure interview schedule. The researcher approached the Mothers who are willing to participate in this study and who   would fulfill the inclusion criteria are invited to participate in the study. Researchers explained the main aim of the study. Investigator developed the first draft of semi-structured interview schedule and wrote the items in an observable and measurable term to identify the background information & personal characteristics, and prevalence of minor ailment & treatment seeking behavior.

Part-A consisted of semi structured interview schedule on demographic variables which consists of 16 items.

 Part-B consisted of semi structured interview schedule on Prevalence of minor ailment & Treatment seeking behavior among mothers, which consists 17 items.

 

5. RESULTS

·        Majority of (52%) children are boy.

·        Majority of the children (31%) belongs to the age group ranging from 2month- 12 month.

·        Maximum children (91%) belong from the Hindu family.

·        Most of the mothers 77% belong to the age group ranging from 21-30 years.

·        Cent percent mothers were married.

·        Maximum mothers & fathers (49%) had primary level education.

·        About 90% of the mothers were housewife.

·        Fathers of majority of the children (42%) were service men.

·        Maximum number (39%) of mothers reported about their per capita family income to be within Rs 1001/- to Rs 2000/-

·        Most of mothers had one child (59%).

·        Majority youngest children of the mothers (64%) belong to the age group ranging from year.

·        About 83% of mothers used municipality tap water for the purpose of drinking.

·        Majority families (61%) had own toilet facility and out of them 96.72% sanitary latrine.

 

5.1. Finding related to prevalence of selected minor ailments of the under five children

In the study the common minor ailments in the present study are as following:

·        Most common minor ailments of under five children were common cold & cough (87%), (43%) diarrhea, (36%) minor injury, (29%) skin rash & minor injury, and others.

·        Only 9% children suffered from oral thrush & and all among them children suffered from oral thrush 1time.

·        Maximum of children suffered from common cold & cough first episode (41.38%) & 22.99% of them suffered 2 times, 16.09% children suffered 3 times and 19.54% suffered from more than 3 times.

·        About 19% of mothers reported that their child suffered from conjunctivitis & among them cent percentage of children (100%) suffered one time.

·        About 29% children were suffering from worm infestation among them majorities of children suffered one time (62.07%), children suffered more than 3 times 20.69%.

·        43% of children suffered from diarrhea among them children suffered 1 times (65.12%), 23.25% of children suffered 2^nd time; rest of children suffered (6.98%) 3times & more than 3 times (4.65%). Only 12 children suffered from constipation majority of them suffered more than 3times 75%.

·        Total 11% of children had dental caries majorities of children (27.27%) are suffered from 1^{st &} 2^nd time, 36.36% of children suffered from more than 3times & rest of the child (9.09%) suffered from 3 times.

·        Mothers informed that 29 children suffered from skin rash & all of them were suffering from one time.

·        For the minor injury 36 children totally suffered among them majorities of children 41.67% suffered one time.

 

5.2. Findings related to treatment seeking behavior of the mothers

·        Majority of the mother sought treatment from doctor (100%) for the oral thrush.

·        For the common cold & cough maximum number of the mothers went to the doctor (89.95%).

·        Out of 18% mothers about 61.11% mothers sought treatment for conjunctivitis, in which majority of mothers (33.33%) went for doctor advice. Rest of the mothers (38.39%) sought no treatment as they thought that these were problems as common financial problem (42.86%), communication problem (14.28%), other cause (42.86%) mothers felt no need for treatment.

·        About 29% children suffered from worm infestation, out of them 22 mothers (75.86%) had taken sought treatment. Rest of the 7 mothers (24.13%) sought no treatment as they thought that these were problems as common (14.28%) communication problem & rest of them said they felt no need (85.71%) of treatment.

·        In case of diarrhea majority of the mother had taken treatment. out of them maximum number of the mothers went to the doctor (55.81%), 34.88% mothers used home remedies, & only 9.30% mother didn‟t seek any treatment for their children.

·        For dental caries majorities mothers (63.63%) sought no treatment as they belief that not requires any treatment now for their children.

·        Maximum of the mother sought treatment from doctor (68.96%) for the skin rash; because as they thought that they can be discuss freely (85.71%), & they belief (9.52%) that was a better treatment for their children.

·        Out of 36% mothers about 75% mothers sought treatment for minor injury, in which majority of mothers (55.55%) used home remedies. Rest of the mothers (25%) sought no treatment as they thought that not requires any treatment for their children.

 

5.3. Findings related to association between treatment-seeking behaviors with selected demographic variables

·        In the present study there was significant association found with age of the child & treatment seeking behavior of diarrhea among mothers as per obtained chi- square value 12.29 at 0.05 level of significant at df (3).

·        In the present study there was significant association found with education status of mother & treatment seeking behavior of diarrhea among mothers as per obtained chi-square value 12.865 at 0.05 level of significant at df (4).

 

6.  Discussion

A cross-sectional survey was carried out among mothers of children who are five years and younger in the village of Eisleben (Botlokwa area) in the Limpopo Province, South Africa, to examine mothers often seek healthcare when their young children have common illnesses like diarrhoea, fever, cough and worms. The study was conducted in a rural community in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The sample consisted of 100 rural mothers attending a clinic. The results indicated that the complaint most commonly reported was fever (95%), followed by diarrhoea (91%); worms were reported by only 25% of the mothers. visiting the clinic was the most frequent action mothers took when their children had health issues: 79% sought help for coughing, 68% for fever, 50% for diarrhoea and 11% for worm Promtussananon & Peltzer (2003).

In case of present study, the sample consisted of 100 urban mothers attending in a immunization clinic the result indicated that the complaint most commonly reported was common cold & cough (87%), diarrhea (43%), worm infestation were reported only (29%) of the mothers. The most common treatment seeking behavior was doctor advice: 89.65% of the mothers took doctor advice for their children, 55.81% for diarrhea and 34.48% for worm infestation.

Benerjee et al. (2004) conducted a study in an urban area of West Bengal on diarrheal diseases among children. Sample size was 300. The study showed that overall prevalence of diarrhea was31.6%, highest in lower economic class.

In case of present study consisted 100 participants of urban mothers attending in an immunization clinic the result indicated that the prevalence of diarrhea 43%, highest in 2-12 months age of children.

 

7. Conclusion

Occurrence of the minor ailments within the study population was 96%, suffering   was ranging from one to five problems found in the same children. The most common minor ailments of under five children are common cold & cough (87%), (43%) diarrhea, (36%) minor injury, (29%) skin rash & minor injury, conjunctivitis (18%), constipation (12%), dental caries (11%), oral thrush (9%).

Analysis of mothers’ treatment seeking behavior identified that maximum number of mothers who seeking treatment went to doctor advice in case of oral thrush, common cold & cough, conjunctivitis, diarrhea, skin rash and minor injury. In case of worm infestation, constipation mothers sought treatment majority used the different home remedies. Majority of the mothers for their dental caries did not seek treatment as they thought no need of any treatment for their children

The assessment of treatment seeking behavior for minor ailments identified as number & type of minor ailments from which the children were suffering.

 

8. Ethical Consideration

·        Permission will be taken from institutional ethical committee. Informed consent will be taken from all the participants

·        Privacy will be maintained during interview. Confidentiality & anonymity of the data will be maintained. Protocol design;

·        Risk benefit: There may be no direct benefit from this study.

·        Patient confidentiality: The information given by subject will be kept confidential and used only for the purpose of the study and anonymity will be maintained throughout the study.

 

Certificate of Ethical Committee

 

 

Letter Seeking Permission to Conduct Final Study

 

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

None. 

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

None.

 

REFERENCES

Benerjee, B., Hazra, S., & Bondyopadhyay, D. (2004, March). Indian Journal of Pediatrics: Diarrhea Management Among Under-Fives, 4(17), 255-259.  

Park, K. (2023). Text Book of Preventive and Social Medicine. (27th Ed.), M/S. Banarsidas Bhonot.  

Promtussananon, S., & Peltzer, K. (2003). Health Care-Seeking Behaviour for Child Illnesses Among Rural Mothers in South Africa: A Pilot Study. Health SA Gesondheid. Journal of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, 8(2), 3+. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/hsag.v8i2.121