Abstract:
Health-seeking behavior refers to an order of actions done to promote health
and prevent disease. Healthcare use is an immediate outcome of health seeking behavior and
is also found to be important to obtain health counseling. Despite an improved physical to
health facilities and government expenditure on health, the burden of diseases was not
successfully reduced, and health care utilization is low in Ethiopia. As there is paucity of
information on this issue in the study area, this study was intended to assess Health Seeking
Behavior for Common Childhood illness and associated factors among Mothers/Care givers
of under five children in.
Objective: To assess the health care seeking behavior for common childhood illness and
associated factors among mother’s/care givers of under five children in Daro Labu District
West Hararghe, Oromia Region, Eastern Ethiopia from February 01/2021 to March 01, 2021.
Methods: A community- based, cross- sectional study design, was employed among 418
randomly selected Mother’s/Care givers from February 01/2021 to March 01, 2021in Daro
Labu District, West Hararghe, Oromia Region, Eastern Ethiopia.
. Results: The prevalence of health care seeking behavior of mothers/caregivers for common
childhood illness in the study area was 88.5 % (95%CI: 84.4% - 92. 6%). Educationally able
to read and write, (AOR = 1.4, 95%CI (1.10–3.29), Having male child (AOR = 1.04; 95% CI
(1.63-3.68)), Aged of Child < 24 months (AOR = 2.18; 95% CI: 1.08–2.68) and Perceived
severity of illness (AOR=11.73; 95% CI (3.7-15.2) were significantly associated with
maternal/caregiver’s health care seeking behaviors for common childhood illness
Conclusion: The health care seeking behaviors of care givers in the study area was high.
Educational status, child age, child sex, and perceived severity of illness were significantly
associated with Mothers/caregiver’s health care seeking behaviors for common childhood
illness.
Recommendations: Inter-sectoral collaboration with different offices is to disseminate key
messages about the importance of Health care seeking for common childhood illness. Health
educations on health care seeking at Antenatal care, Immunization and during home visits by
HEWs. Finally further research should be conducted to identify why mothers/caregivers
prefer health care seeking for Male Children than Female Children during common childhood
illness in Daro Lebu District, West Hararghe Zone, Oromia, Eastern Ethiopia
