Determinants of Delay in Malaria Treatment Seeking for Under-Five Children with Malaria Attending Health Centers of Bench-Maji Zone, South-Western Ethiopia. Case-Control Study

Abstract

Introduction: Malaria has continued to be a public health problem in the World today despite concerted efforts aimed at its control and elimination. Prompt diagnosis and timely treatment of malaria within 24 hours after onset of first symptoms can reduce illness progression to severe stages, and therefore, decrease mortality. Thus the current study assessed determinants of delayed malaria treatment seeking for under-five children with malaria attending health centers of Bench-Maji zone from March 1 -June 30/2016. Methods: Community based Unmatched Case control study design with a total sample size of 354 identified using systematic sampling. Cases were under -five children who had confirmed Malaria and Sought treatment after 24 hrs of developing sign and symptom, and controls were under-five children who had clinical malaria and came for treatment within 24 hrs of developing sign and symptom. The association between the outcome variable and the explanatory variables was analyzed by multiple Logistic regressions. The strength of association was interpreted using odds ratio and confidence interval. The P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant in this study.