Knowledge and home treatment of measles infection by caregivers of children under five in a low-income urban community, Nigeria
Background: Despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine for over 50 years, measles remains a leading cause of death among young children in developing countries. Aim: This study assessed the knowledge and home treatment of measles by caregivers of children under 5 years. Setting: Abeb...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2019-04-01
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| Series: | African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/1744 |
| _version_ | 1818316838403047424 |
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| author | Obioma Uchendu Olusimbo Ige Oluwapelumi Adeyera |
| author_facet | Obioma Uchendu Olusimbo Ige Oluwapelumi Adeyera |
| author_sort | Obioma Uchendu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine for over 50 years, measles remains a leading cause of death among young children in developing countries.
Aim: This study assessed the knowledge and home treatment of measles by caregivers of children under 5 years.
Setting: Abebi community, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study of 509 caregivers of children aged 6 months to 5 years in a semi-urban community in Ibadan was conducted using a multi-stage sampling method. An interviewer administered structured questionnaire was used to collect information on socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of aetiology, main symptoms and signs, and home treatment of measles. Chi-square test and logistic regression were used to explore associations at 5% level of significance.
Results: Most of the caregivers were females (96.3%), married (86.1%) and were the biological parents of the children (90.9%). More than half had good knowledge of the cause (59.7%) and main symptoms and signs (52.8%) of measles. However, the composite knowledge was good in 57.6% of caregivers. Over half (54.4%) of the caregivers reported that their children ever had measles. Majority (91.3%) of caregivers whose children had measles gave home treatment, while 24 (8.7%) sought treatment from health facilities alone. There was a significant association between caregivers’ educational status, age, tribe and marital status and their knowledge of measles; however, tribe was the only significant predictor of knowledge after regression analysis. Caregivers from other tribes were 3.3 times more likely to have good knowledge of measles than Yoruba caregivers. Caregivers who were 35 years and older compared to those younger than 35 years (OR: 0.625; 95% CI: 0.425–0.921) and those who were not currently married compared to those married (OR: 0.455; 95% CI: 0.273–0.758) had lower odds of having good knowledge of measles, respectively.
Conclusion: Home treatment by caregivers of children with measles is high. Health education on the cause, prevention and treatment of measles should be provided for caregivers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T09:27:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-249cc7f78507419cbd718a9d97568a9b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2071-2928 2071-2936 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T09:27:47Z |
| publishDate | 2019-04-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-249cc7f78507419cbd718a9d97568a9b2022-12-21T23:52:35ZengAOSISAfrican Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine2071-29282071-29362019-04-01111e1e1310.4102/phcfm.v11i1.1744607Knowledge and home treatment of measles infection by caregivers of children under five in a low-income urban community, NigeriaObioma Uchendu0Olusimbo Ige1Oluwapelumi Adeyera2Department of Community Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria; and, Department of Community Medicine, University of Ibadan, IbadanDepartment of Community Medicine, University College Hospital, IbadanDepartment of Community Medicine, University of Ibadan, IbadanBackground: Despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine for over 50 years, measles remains a leading cause of death among young children in developing countries. Aim: This study assessed the knowledge and home treatment of measles by caregivers of children under 5 years. Setting: Abebi community, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study of 509 caregivers of children aged 6 months to 5 years in a semi-urban community in Ibadan was conducted using a multi-stage sampling method. An interviewer administered structured questionnaire was used to collect information on socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of aetiology, main symptoms and signs, and home treatment of measles. Chi-square test and logistic regression were used to explore associations at 5% level of significance. Results: Most of the caregivers were females (96.3%), married (86.1%) and were the biological parents of the children (90.9%). More than half had good knowledge of the cause (59.7%) and main symptoms and signs (52.8%) of measles. However, the composite knowledge was good in 57.6% of caregivers. Over half (54.4%) of the caregivers reported that their children ever had measles. Majority (91.3%) of caregivers whose children had measles gave home treatment, while 24 (8.7%) sought treatment from health facilities alone. There was a significant association between caregivers’ educational status, age, tribe and marital status and their knowledge of measles; however, tribe was the only significant predictor of knowledge after regression analysis. Caregivers from other tribes were 3.3 times more likely to have good knowledge of measles than Yoruba caregivers. Caregivers who were 35 years and older compared to those younger than 35 years (OR: 0.625; 95% CI: 0.425–0.921) and those who were not currently married compared to those married (OR: 0.455; 95% CI: 0.273–0.758) had lower odds of having good knowledge of measles, respectively. Conclusion: Home treatment by caregivers of children with measles is high. Health education on the cause, prevention and treatment of measles should be provided for caregivers.https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/1744measlescaregivershome treatmentmeasles complicationunder-5 childrenknowledge of measlesmeasles immunisationsymptoms and signs of measles |
| spellingShingle | Obioma Uchendu Olusimbo Ige Oluwapelumi Adeyera Knowledge and home treatment of measles infection by caregivers of children under five in a low-income urban community, Nigeria African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine measles caregivers home treatment measles complication under-5 children knowledge of measles measles immunisation symptoms and signs of measles |
| title | Knowledge and home treatment of measles infection by caregivers of children under five in a low-income urban community, Nigeria |
| title_full | Knowledge and home treatment of measles infection by caregivers of children under five in a low-income urban community, Nigeria |
| title_fullStr | Knowledge and home treatment of measles infection by caregivers of children under five in a low-income urban community, Nigeria |
| title_full_unstemmed | Knowledge and home treatment of measles infection by caregivers of children under five in a low-income urban community, Nigeria |
| title_short | Knowledge and home treatment of measles infection by caregivers of children under five in a low-income urban community, Nigeria |
| title_sort | knowledge and home treatment of measles infection by caregivers of children under five in a low income urban community nigeria |
| topic | measles caregivers home treatment measles complication under-5 children knowledge of measles measles immunisation symptoms and signs of measles |
| url | https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/1744 |
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