Maternal Perceptions On The Health Seeking Behaviour During Childhood Illnesses-A Mixed Method Study From Rural Patna, Bihar Saxena Abhijeet1, Menon Kavitha2, Chaturvedi Sharad3, Ganguly P.S.4 1Student, Indian Institute of Public Health, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India 2Associate Professor, Indian Institute of Public Health, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India 3Deputy Director, CARE India Solutions for Sustainable India, Bihar, India 4Additional Professor, Indian Institute of Public Health, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India Online published on 29 December, 2017. Abstract Purpose Despite the massive efforts undertaken by various national and international agencies, childhood malnutrition remains as a major public health challenge in Bihar. Often childhood illnesses are aggravated due to the existing malnutrition, poor care and management, and the challenges experienced by the mothers in accessing healthcare facilities. The present study aimed to understand health seeking behaviour of mothers during illnesses of their children aged less than 2 years and the factors influencing the same. Methods Cross-sectional study was conducted in 4 blocks of Patna district, Bihar. Mothers of children (n=71) aged less than 2 years were recruited for the study. Information on socio-demographic factors, infant and young child feeding practices and health seeking behaviour during illness was collected from mothers using a pretested interviewer administered questionnaire. Results There were about 73 children (including two pairs of twins) in the study malnourished (n=56) and normal (n=17). The majority of children (93%) were having common childhood illnesses such as diarrhea, fever, common cold or measles. Of the 56 malnourished children, 73% (n=41) were not exclusively breastfed. The mother's health seeking behaviour was majorly influenced by perceived severity of the disease, consultation fees charged by service providers and flexibility in payments. Top Keywords Health seeking behaviour, child, illnesses, consultation fees. Top |