Care seeking for childhood pneumonia by rural and poor urban communities in Lucknow: A community-based cross-sectional study
Context: Globally, around 16% of under-five children die due to pneumonia. Childhood pneumonia, if identified early is a readily treatable through low-cost antibiotics. Access to timely and appropriate care is a key action to control pneumonia. Aims: The aim of the study was to understand the caregi...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2017-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2017;volume=6;issue=2;spage=211;epage=217;aulast=Minz |
| _version_ | 1818552762261045248 |
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| author | Anurag Minz Monika Agarwal J V Singh V K Singh |
| author_facet | Anurag Minz Monika Agarwal J V Singh V K Singh |
| author_sort | Anurag Minz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Context: Globally, around 16% of under-five children die due to pneumonia. Childhood pneumonia, if identified early is a readily treatable through low-cost antibiotics. Access to timely and appropriate care is a key action to control pneumonia. Aims: The aim of the study was to understand the caregiver's care-seeking behavior for the management of childhood pneumonia among rural and urban poor communities in Lucknow. Settings and Design: Rural areas and urban slums of Lucknow district, from September 2014 to August 2015. Subjects and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study. Total of 1065 under-five children were selected by multistage random sampling method. Caregivers of children (<5 years of age) were interviewed through pretested, semi-structured interview schedule. Information was gathered on episode of cough, difficult breathing, and or chest indrawing in child within 2 weeks preceding the survey, and caregiver's treatment seeking practices. Results: Out of total 1065 children, 52 (%) had pneumonia within 2 weeks preceding the survey. At the onset of illness, difficult/fast breathing was identified by 86.5% caregivers, but majority of them did not perceive it as a serious condition and resort to home remedies. Only 9.6% sought appropriate care at onset of illness. Appearance of chest indrawing in the child was identified by caregivers as a serious condition and sought treatment from outside. The mean time taken from onset of illness to the seeking care from health facility was around 2½ days (2.39 ± 0.75). Qualified private practitioners (70.5%) were the preferred choice and majority (87.0%) of the children received antibiotic for pneumonia. However, even after perception of seriousness of the illness, 26.8% and 11.1% caregivers in urban slums and rural areas, respectively sought inappropriate care at the first consultation. Conclusions: Caregivers were unable to perceive the severity of fast breathing leading to the delayed initiation of the appropriate treatment. There is a need of community mobilization through behavior change communication interventions to promote early symptom recognition and appropriate care seeking for pneumonia. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T09:17:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8f8fbe8054a54c3baa3ec9255e6e9927 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2249-4863 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T09:17:24Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care |
| spelling | doaj.art-8f8fbe8054a54c3baa3ec9255e6e99272022-12-22T00:29:20ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Family Medicine and Primary Care2249-48632017-01-016221121710.4103/2249-4863.219987Care seeking for childhood pneumonia by rural and poor urban communities in Lucknow: A community-based cross-sectional studyAnurag MinzMonika AgarwalJ V SinghV K SinghContext: Globally, around 16% of under-five children die due to pneumonia. Childhood pneumonia, if identified early is a readily treatable through low-cost antibiotics. Access to timely and appropriate care is a key action to control pneumonia. Aims: The aim of the study was to understand the caregiver's care-seeking behavior for the management of childhood pneumonia among rural and urban poor communities in Lucknow. Settings and Design: Rural areas and urban slums of Lucknow district, from September 2014 to August 2015. Subjects and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study. Total of 1065 under-five children were selected by multistage random sampling method. Caregivers of children (<5 years of age) were interviewed through pretested, semi-structured interview schedule. Information was gathered on episode of cough, difficult breathing, and or chest indrawing in child within 2 weeks preceding the survey, and caregiver's treatment seeking practices. Results: Out of total 1065 children, 52 (%) had pneumonia within 2 weeks preceding the survey. At the onset of illness, difficult/fast breathing was identified by 86.5% caregivers, but majority of them did not perceive it as a serious condition and resort to home remedies. Only 9.6% sought appropriate care at onset of illness. Appearance of chest indrawing in the child was identified by caregivers as a serious condition and sought treatment from outside. The mean time taken from onset of illness to the seeking care from health facility was around 2½ days (2.39 ± 0.75). Qualified private practitioners (70.5%) were the preferred choice and majority (87.0%) of the children received antibiotic for pneumonia. However, even after perception of seriousness of the illness, 26.8% and 11.1% caregivers in urban slums and rural areas, respectively sought inappropriate care at the first consultation. Conclusions: Caregivers were unable to perceive the severity of fast breathing leading to the delayed initiation of the appropriate treatment. There is a need of community mobilization through behavior change communication interventions to promote early symptom recognition and appropriate care seeking for pneumonia.http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2017;volume=6;issue=2;spage=211;epage=217;aulast=MinzCare seekingcaregiverschildhood pneumoniaruralurban slum |
| spellingShingle | Anurag Minz Monika Agarwal J V Singh V K Singh Care seeking for childhood pneumonia by rural and poor urban communities in Lucknow: A community-based cross-sectional study Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care Care seeking caregivers childhood pneumonia rural urban slum |
| title | Care seeking for childhood pneumonia by rural and poor urban communities in Lucknow: A community-based cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Care seeking for childhood pneumonia by rural and poor urban communities in Lucknow: A community-based cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Care seeking for childhood pneumonia by rural and poor urban communities in Lucknow: A community-based cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Care seeking for childhood pneumonia by rural and poor urban communities in Lucknow: A community-based cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Care seeking for childhood pneumonia by rural and poor urban communities in Lucknow: A community-based cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | care seeking for childhood pneumonia by rural and poor urban communities in lucknow a community based cross sectional study |
| topic | Care seeking caregivers childhood pneumonia rural urban slum |
| url | http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2017;volume=6;issue=2;spage=211;epage=217;aulast=Minz |
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