Healthcare-seeking Behaviour for Acute Respiratory Tract Infections Among Under 5-years Old Children in Rural Kenya

Abstract

Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs) are the number one cause of death in young children, accounting for more than two-fifths of all deaths in Sub-Saharan African countries. ARIs are still the chief cause of below 5 mortalities in Kenya, with a persistent surge in rural areas. The study was designed to determine health-seeking behaviour for ARIs among under-five children in rural Kenya. The specific goals were to identify the pattern of health-seeking behaviour for ARIs among children below 5 in rural Kenya, as well as the core determinants influencing health service utilization among under-five children with ARIs in rural Kenya. The study used the Kenya KDHS (2014) dataset to model the hypothesized association. To investigate the impacts of various factors influencing health-seeking behaviour for ARIs among under-five children with ARIs in rural Kenya, both descriptive and inferential analyses (probit regression model) were used. According to the findings, the prevalence of ARI among under-five children in rural Kenya was 4.7 percent. It was discovered that child age, education levels (primary, secondary, and tertiary), and socioeconomic status (poor, middle, and rich) all had a positive and significant effect on ARI health-seeking behaviour among under-five children in rural Kenya. Only age squared has a statistically significant effect. On the basis of the results, the study suggests that the national and county governments of Kenya design specialized healthcare programs for ARIs, including a variety of sources and appropriate counseling, so that mothers with children below the age of 5 can make a knowledgeable decision and have easy access to quality follow-up services. The government should adapt the curriculum to include instruction on specialized healthcare services and the advantages of these services for this unique demographic. In addition, government agencies and independent organizations must renew their commitment to implementing and monitoring healthcare service delivery strategies to ensure adherence to and provision of the most appropriate specialized healthcare services for mothers of all socioeconomic levels who have children with ARIs in rural areas.