Antibiotic use in children under 5 years of age in Northern Tanzania: a qualitative study exploring the experiences of the caring mothers
Background: Antimicrobial resistance is a serious threat to the global achievements in child health thus far. Previous studies have found high use of antibiotics in children in Northern Tanzania, but the experiences of the primary care-givers, who play a key role in accessing and administering anti...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer
2022
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| Online Access: | https://repository.ugm.ac.id/278681/1/Lepp_KKMK.pdf |
| _version_ | 1826050301680943104 |
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| author | Emgård, Matilda Mwangi, Rose Mayo, Celina Mshana, Ester Nkini, Gertrud Andersson, Rune Lepp, Margret Skovbjerg, Susann Muro, Florida |
| author_facet | Emgård, Matilda Mwangi, Rose Mayo, Celina Mshana, Ester Nkini, Gertrud Andersson, Rune Lepp, Margret Skovbjerg, Susann Muro, Florida |
| author_sort | Emgård, Matilda |
| collection | UGM |
| description | Background: Antimicrobial resistance is a serious threat to the global achievements in child health thus far. Previous studies have found high use of antibiotics in children in Northern Tanzania, but the experiences of the primary
care-givers, who play a key role in accessing and administering antibiotics for the sick child, have remained largely unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to understand mothers’ conceptions of antibiotic use in their children, which is of importance when forming strategies to improve antibiotic use in the community. Method: A qualitative study including eight focus group discussions with mothers of under-five children in Moshi urban and rural districts, Northern Tanzania, was performed during 2019. The discussions were recorded, transcribed verbatim, translated into English and analysed according to the phenomenographic approach. Findings: Three conceptual themes emerged during analysis; (1) conceptions of disease and antibiotics, (2) accessing treatment and (3) administering antibiotics. Antibiotics were often perceived as a universal treatment for common symptoms or diseases in children with few side-effects. Although mothers preferred to attend a healthcare facility, unforeseen costs, long waits and lack of financial support from their husbands, posed barriers for healthcare seeking. However, pharmacies were perceived as a cheap and convenient option to access previously used or prescribed antibiotics. Some mothers sought advice from a trusted neighbour regarding when to seek healthcare, thus resembling
the function of the community health worker. Conclusions: To improve antibiotic use in children under 5 years of age in Northern Tanzania, the precarious situation that women often find themselves in as they access treatment for their sick children needs to be taken into consideration. It is necessary to improve structures, including the healthcare system, socioeconomic inequalities and promoting gender equality both in the household and in the public arena to reduce misuse of antibiotics. Meanwhile, equipping community health workers to support Tanzanian women in appropriate healthcare seeking for their children, may be a feasible target for intervention. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-14T00:01:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | oai:generic.eprints.org:278681 |
| institution | Universiti Gadjah Mada |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-14T00:01:49Z |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publisher | Springer |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oai:generic.eprints.org:2786812023-11-02T01:10:51Z https://repository.ugm.ac.id/278681/ Antibiotic use in children under 5 years of age in Northern Tanzania: a qualitative study exploring the experiences of the caring mothers Emgård, Matilda Mwangi, Rose Mayo, Celina Mshana, Ester Nkini, Gertrud Andersson, Rune Lepp, Margret Skovbjerg, Susann Muro, Florida Clinical Sciences Background: Antimicrobial resistance is a serious threat to the global achievements in child health thus far. Previous studies have found high use of antibiotics in children in Northern Tanzania, but the experiences of the primary care-givers, who play a key role in accessing and administering antibiotics for the sick child, have remained largely unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to understand mothers’ conceptions of antibiotic use in their children, which is of importance when forming strategies to improve antibiotic use in the community. Method: A qualitative study including eight focus group discussions with mothers of under-five children in Moshi urban and rural districts, Northern Tanzania, was performed during 2019. The discussions were recorded, transcribed verbatim, translated into English and analysed according to the phenomenographic approach. Findings: Three conceptual themes emerged during analysis; (1) conceptions of disease and antibiotics, (2) accessing treatment and (3) administering antibiotics. Antibiotics were often perceived as a universal treatment for common symptoms or diseases in children with few side-effects. Although mothers preferred to attend a healthcare facility, unforeseen costs, long waits and lack of financial support from their husbands, posed barriers for healthcare seeking. However, pharmacies were perceived as a cheap and convenient option to access previously used or prescribed antibiotics. Some mothers sought advice from a trusted neighbour regarding when to seek healthcare, thus resembling the function of the community health worker. Conclusions: To improve antibiotic use in children under 5 years of age in Northern Tanzania, the precarious situation that women often find themselves in as they access treatment for their sick children needs to be taken into consideration. It is necessary to improve structures, including the healthcare system, socioeconomic inequalities and promoting gender equality both in the household and in the public arena to reduce misuse of antibiotics. Meanwhile, equipping community health workers to support Tanzanian women in appropriate healthcare seeking for their children, may be a feasible target for intervention. Springer 2022-11-03 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en https://repository.ugm.ac.id/278681/1/Lepp_KKMK.pdf Emgård, Matilda and Mwangi, Rose and Mayo, Celina and Mshana, Ester and Nkini, Gertrud and Andersson, Rune and Lepp, Margret and Skovbjerg, Susann and Muro, Florida (2022) Antibiotic use in children under 5 years of age in Northern Tanzania: a qualitative study exploring the experiences of the caring mothers. Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control, 11 (1). pp. 1-11. ISSN 2047-2994 https://aricjournal.biomedcentral.com/about https://doi.org/10.1186/s13756-022-01169-w |
| spellingShingle | Clinical Sciences Emgård, Matilda Mwangi, Rose Mayo, Celina Mshana, Ester Nkini, Gertrud Andersson, Rune Lepp, Margret Skovbjerg, Susann Muro, Florida Antibiotic use in children under 5 years of age in Northern Tanzania: a qualitative study exploring the experiences of the caring mothers |
| title | Antibiotic use in children under 5 years of age in Northern Tanzania: a qualitative study exploring the experiences of the caring mothers |
| title_full | Antibiotic use in children under 5 years of age in Northern Tanzania: a qualitative study exploring the experiences of the caring mothers |
| title_fullStr | Antibiotic use in children under 5 years of age in Northern Tanzania: a qualitative study exploring the experiences of the caring mothers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Antibiotic use in children under 5 years of age in Northern Tanzania: a qualitative study exploring the experiences of the caring mothers |
| title_short | Antibiotic use in children under 5 years of age in Northern Tanzania: a qualitative study exploring the experiences of the caring mothers |
| title_sort | antibiotic use in children under 5 years of age in northern tanzania a qualitative study exploring the experiences of the caring mothers |
| topic | Clinical Sciences |
| url | https://repository.ugm.ac.id/278681/1/Lepp_KKMK.pdf |
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