Masters Degrees (DPBS)

Permanent URI for this collection

http://hdl.handle.net/11070/1211

Browse

Browsing Masters Degrees (DPBS) by Author "Kashile, Joolokeni"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Health care seeking behaviour of caregivers for children under five years towards diarrhoea in Havana – Windhoek, Namibia
    (University of Namibia, 2023) Kashile, Joolokeni
    Poor sanitation, lack of access to clean water supply and inadequate personal hygiene are responsible for 90 % of diarrheal disease occurrences worldwide. This study identified the health care seeking behaviours of caregivers toward diarrhoeal disease among children under-five years in the Havana informal settlement in Windhoek Namibia. The research methodology utilized a mixed method approach, with explanatory sequential design. The study recruited 147 participants using systematic random sampling for the quantitative data and 8 participants using purposive sampling for the qualitative data. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire for quantitative data and in-depth interviews for qualitative data. SPSS version 25.0 was used to analyse the quantitative data and thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data. Quantitative findings revealed that 44.9 % of the children had diarrhoea in three months before the study and 46.94 % of those caregivers sought medical care. The study found that there is no significant association between health seeking behaviour and Caregiver’s s Marital Status (p=0.474), Caregiver’s Age (p= 0.478), Employment Status (p=0.95), Health Insurance Status (p=0.209) and Household Monthly Income Range (p=0.307).Qualitative data revealed that “the caregivers perceive diarrhoea a disease that is easy to treat and that they do not seek medical care because the disease disappears on its own without the need for medical care”. The study recommends that the Ministry of Health and Social Services should increase awareness about diarrhoea in Informal settlement.