Childhood morbidity, household practices and health care seeking for sick children in a tribal district of Maharashtra, India.

OBJECTIVES: To find out the magnitude of childhood morbidities, health care seeking behavior and explore the status of 'some desired practices' at household level during episodes of illness in two tribal blocks of Chandrapur district.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present explanatory mixed-method design of quantitative (survey) and qualitative (focus group discussions, FGDs )methods was undertaken in nine Primary health centers of Warora and Bhadrawati blocks in Chandrapur district. The information of 2,700 under-five children on morbidity, health care seeking behavior and some desired practices at household level was collected by paying home visits and using pre-designed and pre-tested questionnaire. The data was entered and analyzed by using SPSS 12.0.1 and C sample program of epi_info (version 6.04d) software package. The conventional content analysis of FGD data was undertaken.

RESULTS: The prevalence of morbidities was high among newborns and children. About 1,811 (67%) children had at least one of the morbidities. Private health care providers and village level faith healers were preferred for seeking treatment of newborn danger sings and childhood morbidities. The status of some desired household practices such as frequent feeding and giving extra fluid to drink during episodes of illness was poor.

CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, considering high prevalence of child morbidities and poor status of some desired household practices of caregivers at household level for sick children, household and community IMNCI strategy needs to be implemented to promote child health and nutrition. Apart from this, health care delivery at village level should be strengthened.