The study explored why actions for early treatment of febrile illnesses in children are delayed by caregivers of children less than five years in five Local Government Areas (LGAs) of southwestern Nigeria using four indicators: caregivers' perception of illness, notion of causation and seriousness, belief in efficacy of selected pathway, and the decision making process. Seven types of febrile illnesses (yellow fever, typhoid fever, ordinary fever/malaria, hot body fever, rain fever, cold fever, and headache fever) were identified and yellow fever was perceived as the most severe type (60.8%). Only 24.2% correctly identified an infected mosquito bite as the cause of ordinary fever/malaria. Use of leftover drugs at home (55.6%) was the main action taken and fathers were the main decisionmakers in all cases. Empowerment of women for improved knowledge on causation, severity, and importance of prompt action for a healthy outcome is recommended.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
DasA. and RavindranSundari T. K., Factors Affecting Treatment-seeking for Febrile Illness in a Malaria Endemic Block in Boudh District, Orissa, India: Policy Implications for Malaria Control, Malaria Journal, 9, p. 377, 2010. doi: 10.1186/1475-2875-9-377.
Anonymous, African Malaria Report: Executive Summary on Malaria. Available at http://ww.rbm.who.int, 2003.
5.
OkwaO. O.AkinmolayanI. F.CarterV., and HurdH., Transmission Dynamics of Malaria in Nigeria, Annals of African Medicine, 8: 2, pp. 1–9, 2009.
6.
SalakoL. A., “An African Perspective” World Health. The Magazine of the World Health Organization, 51st Year, No 3, May-June, IXISSN 0043–8502, pp. 24–25, 1998.
7.
DialloA. B.DeSerresG.BeavoguiA. H.LapointeC., and ViensP., Home Care of Malaria—Infected Children of Less Than 5 Years of Age in a Rural Area of the Republic of Guinea, Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 79: 1, pp. 28–32, 2001.
SalakoL. A.BriegerW. R.AfolabiB. M.UmehR. E.AgomoP. U.AsaS.AdeneyeA. K.NwakwoB. O., and AkinladeC. O., Treatment of Childhood Fevers and Other Illnesses in Three Rural Nigerian Communities, Journal of Tropical Pediatrics, 47: 4, pp. 230–238, 2001.
10.
AjaiyeobaE. O.OladepoO.FawoleO. I.BolajiO. M.AkinboyeD. O.OgundahunsiO. A. T.FaladeC. O.GbotosoG. O.ItiolaO. A.HappiT. C.EbongO. O.OnoniwuI. M.OsowoleO. S.OduolaO. O.AshidiA. S., and OduolaA. M. J.A. M. J. Cultural Categorization of Febrile Illness in Correlation with Herbal Remedies Used for Treatment in Southwestern Nigeria, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 85: 2–3, pp. 179–185, 2003.
11.
McCombieS. C., Self Treatment for Malaria: The Evidence and Methodological Issues, Health Policy and Planning, 17: 4, pp. 333–344, 2002.
12.
SinghS.PadminiP., and SoodV., Urban Parents' Understanding of Fever in Children: Its Dangers and Treatment Practices, Indian Paediatrics, 28: 5, pp. 501–505, 1991.
13.
AgyenpongI. A. and MandersonL., The Diagnosis of Fever at Household Level in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana, Acta Tropica, 58: 3–4, pp. 317–330, 1994.
14.
FeyisetanB. J.AsaS., and EbigbolaJ. A., Mothers' Management of Childhood Fevers in Yoruba Land the Influence of Cultural Beliefs, Health Transition Review, 7: 2, pp. 221–234, 1997.
TarimoD. S.LwihulaG. K.MinjasJ. N., and BygbjergI. C., Mothers' Perceptions and Knowledge on Childhood Malaria in the Holoendemic Kibaha District, Tanzania: Implications for Malaria Control and the Imci Strategy, Tropical Medicine and International Health, 5: 1, pp. 179–184, 2000.
17.
OsowoleO.AjaiyeobaE.BolajiO.AkinboyeD.FawoleO.FaladeC.GbotoshoG.OgboleO.AshidiJ.AbiodunO.FaladeM.SamaW.OladepoO.ItiolaO., and OduolaA., A Survey of Treatment Practices for Febrile Illnesses among Traditional Healers in the Nigerian Middle Belt Zone, African Journal of Traditional Complementary and Alternative Medicines, 2: 3, pp. 337–344, 2005.
18.
EbongO. O.AjaiyeobaE. O.OnoniwuI. M.EtengM. J.AkinboyeD. O.GbotosoG. O.FaladeC. O.BolajiO. M.OladepoO.OsowoleO. S.HappiT. C.FawoleO. F.OgundahunsiO. A. T.AgbagwaI. M., and OduolaA. M. J., Contributions of Indigenous Health Care Givers to the Herbal Management of Febrile Illness in Rivers State, South-South Nigeria, West African Journal of Pharmacology and Drug Research, 21: 1&2, pp. 48–54, 2005.
19.
AikinsM. K.PickeringH., and GreenwoodB. M., Attitudes to Malaria, Traditional Practices and Bednets (Mosquitoes) as Vector Control Measures: A Comparative Study in Five West African Countries, Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 97: 2, pp. 81–86, 1994.
20.
DeressaW. and AliA., Malaria-related Perceptions and Practices of Women with Children under the Age of Five Years in Rural Ethiopia, BMC Public Health, 9, p. 259, 2009. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-9-259.
21.
AhorluC. K.DunyoS. K.AfariE. A.KoramK. A., and NkrumahF. K., Malaria-related Beliefs and Behavior in Southern Ghana: Implications for Treatment, Prevention and Control, Tropical Medicine and International Health, 2: 5, pp. 488–499, 1997.
22.
Kengeya-KayondoJ. F.SeelyJ. A.Kajura-BajenjaE.KabungaE.MubiruE.SembajjaF., and MulderD. W., Recognition, Treatment Seeking Behavior and Perception of Cause of Malaria among Rural Women in Uganda, Acta Tropica, 58: 3–4, pp. 267–273, 1994.
23.
KleinR. E.WellerS. C.ZeissingR.RichardsF. O., and RuebushT. K., Knowledge, Belief and Practices in Relation to Malaria Transmission and Vector Control in Guatemala, American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 52: 5, pp. 383–388, 1995.
24.
Des-FontainesM., Evaluation of Practice and Cost of Vector Control on a Family Level in Central Africa and Douala City, Cameroon, Annals of the Society of Belgian Tropical Medicine, 71: 4, pp. 259–266, 1991.
25.
TumwesigireS. and WatsonS., Health-seeking Behavior by Families of Children Suspected to Have Malaria in Kabale, Uganda, African Health Sciences, 2: 3, pp. 94–98, 2002.
26.
MuteroC. M.OumaJ. H.AgakB. K.WanderiJ. A., and CopelandR. S., Malaria Prevalence and Use of Self-protection Measures Against Mosquitoes in Suba District, Kenya, East African Medical Journal, 75: 1, pp. 687–691, 1998.
27.
World Health Organization, Roll Back Malaria, Promise of Progress, World Health Organization, p. 75, 2000.
28.
AguA. P. and NwojijiJ. O., Childhood Malaria: Mothers' Perception and Treatment-seeking Behavior in a Community in Ebonyi State, South East Nigeria, Journal of Community Medicine and Primary Health Care, 17: 1, pp. 45–50, 2005.
29.
AkogunO. B. and JohnK. K., Illness Related Practices for the Management of Childhood Malaria among the Bwatiye People of North-eastern Nigeria, Malaria Journal, 4: 1, p. 13, 2005. doi: 10.1186/1475-2875-4-13.
30.
DeressaW.AliA., and BerhaneY., Maternal Responses to Childhood Febrile Illnesses in an Area of Seasonal Malaria Transmission in Rural Ethiopia, Acta Tropica, 102: 1, pp. 1–9, 2007.
31.
ArulogunO. S. and GregoryA. U., Management Practices of Childhood Malaria among Caregivers in Ojo Military Cantonment, Lagos, Nigeria: Implication for Child Survival, African Journal of Medicine and Medical Science, 38: 1, pp. 45–54, 2009.
32.
WilliamsH. A. and JonesC. O. H., A Critical Review of Behavioral Issues Related to Malaria Control in Sub-Saharan Africa: What Contributions Have Social Scientists Made?Social Science and Medicine, 59: 3, pp. 501–523, 2004.
33.
HeggenhougenH. K.HackethalV., and VivekP., The Behavioural and Social Aspects of Malaria and its Control: An Introduction and Annotated Bibliography, World Health Organization (TDR/STR/SEB/VOL/03.1), Geneva, 2003. Available at apps.who.int/tdr/…social-aspects-malaria-control/pdf/seb_malaria.pdf
34.
ComoroC.NsimbaS. E.WarsameM., and TomsonG., Local Understanding, Perceptions and Reported Practices of Mothers/guardians and Health Workers on Childhood Malaria in a Tanzanian District—Implications for Malaria Control, Acta Tropica, 87: 3, pp. 305–313, 2003.
