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Health care seeking behavior for common childhood illnesses in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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Abstract

Background

Numerous deaths in under-five children occur from preventable and treatable causes. Seeking medical care for a sick child is an important aspect of child health. Parents decide the type and frequency of health care service utilization for their children. A number of factors influence mothers’/caregivers’ health care seeking behavior for sick children. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of health care seeking behavior and factors associated with common childhood illnesses in Ethiopia.

Methods

Studies were accessed via electronic web-based searches of PubMed, Web of Science, African Journals Online, the Cochrane Library, HINARI (Health Inter-Network Access to Research Initiative), and Google Scholar. We included all studies reporting the prevalence of health care seeking behavior for common childhood illnesses in Ethiopia and published in the English language. The data were analyzed using Stata Version 14.1 software. A forest plot and I-squared test were carried out to assess the heterogeneity of the studies. A funnel plot and Egger’s regression test were done to check the publication bias. A random effect model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence and subgroup analysis performed to identify the probable source of heterogeneity.

Results

Twelve articles comprising 16,873) study participants, were included in this review. The pooled prevalence of health care seeking behavior for common childhood illnesses in Ethiopia was 46.6% (95% CI: 38.7, 54.4) with severe heterogeneity (I2 = 99.0%; p value <0.001) and significant publication bias. Being of the male sex (OR = 1.21; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.43), severity of the illness (OR = 4.04; 95% CI: 2.45, 6.66), rural place of residence (OR = 0.29; 95% CI: 0.13, 0.67), and having an educated mother/caregiver (OR = 1.15; 95% CI: 0.37, 3.65) were factors associated with health care seeking behavior for common childhood illnesses.

Conclusion

Mothers’/caregivers’ health care seeking behavior for common childhood illnesses was low in Ethiopia. The sex of the child, severity of the illness, place of residence, and maternal educational status were the major factors that determined the health care seeking behavior for common childhood illness. We recommend that awareness-raising activities should be strengthened, with a focus on rural residents and less educated mothers/caregivers.

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Abbreviations

AOR: adjusted odds ratio; ARI: acute reparatory infection; CI: confidence interval; CSA: Central Statistical Agency; EDHS: Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey; FP: family planning; HINARI: Health Inter-Network Access to Research Initiative; JBI: Joanna Briggs Institute; SNNPR: Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region; WHO: World Health Organization

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Data will be available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health, St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, P.O.Box 1271, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Simegnew Handebo

  2. Department of Health Education and Behavioural Sciences, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia

    Asmamaw Adugna, Ayenew Kassie, Maereg Wolde & Kegnie Shitu

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  1. Simegnew Handebo
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  2. Asmamaw Adugna
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  3. Ayenew Kassie
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  4. Maereg Wolde
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  5. Kegnie Shitu
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Contributions

SH developed the protocol and involved in the design, selection of study, data extraction, statistical analysis and developing the drafts of the manuscript. SH, AA, AK, MW, and KS involved in quality assessment, selection of study, and data extraction. SH, AA, AK, MW, and KS reviewed draft manuscript. All authors read and approved the final draft of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Simegnew Handebo.

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Handebo, S., Adugna, A., Kassie, A. et al. Health care seeking behavior for common childhood illnesses in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Public Health (Berl.) 31, 1533–1545 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-022-01692-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-022-01692-5

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