Care seeking for childhood illnesses in rural Mtwara, south-east Tanzania: a mixed methods study
Issued Date
2024-07-01
Resource Type
ISSN
00359203
eISSN
18783503
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85197990045
Pubmed ID
38700078
Journal Title
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Volume
118
Issue
7
Start Page
465
End Page
473
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Vol.118 No.7 (2024) , 465-473
Suggested Citation
Mshamu S., Meta J., Sanga C., Day N., Mukaka M., Adhikari B., Deen J., Knudsen J., Pell C., von Seidlein L. Care seeking for childhood illnesses in rural Mtwara, south-east Tanzania: a mixed methods study. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Vol.118 No.7 (2024) , 465-473. 473. doi:10.1093/trstmh/trae022 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/99684
Title
Care seeking for childhood illnesses in rural Mtwara, south-east Tanzania: a mixed methods study
Author's Affiliation
Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit
Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development
Amsterdam Public Health
University of the Philippines Manila
Royal Danish Academy – Architecture, Design, Conservation
Nuffield Department of Medicine
Amsterdam UMC - University of Amsterdam
CSK Research Solutions
Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development
Amsterdam Public Health
University of the Philippines Manila
Royal Danish Academy – Architecture, Design, Conservation
Nuffield Department of Medicine
Amsterdam UMC - University of Amsterdam
CSK Research Solutions
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Background: Care seeking was assessed in preparation for a study of the health impact of novel design houses in rural Mtwara, Tanzania. Methods: A total of 578 residents of 60 villages participated in this mixed-methods study from April to August 2020. Among them, 550 participated in a healthcare-seeking survey, 17 in in-depth interviews and 28 in key informant interviews. Results: The decision to seek care was based on symptom severity (95.4% [370]). Caregivers first visited non-allopathic healthcare providers or were treated at home, which led to delays in seeking care at healthcare facilities. More than one-third (36.0% [140]) of respondents took >12 h seeking care at healthcare facilities. The majority (73.0% [282]) visited healthcare facilities, whereas around one-fifth (21.0% [80]) sought care at drug stores. Treatment costs deterred respondents from visiting healthcare facilities (61.4% [338]). Only 10 (3.6%) of the households surveyed reported that they were covered by health insurance. Conclusions: Quality of care, related to institutional factors, impacts timely care seeking for childhood illnesses in Mtwara, Tanzania. Ensuring accessibility of facilities is therefore not sufficient.