Content area
Abstract
This study examines the relationship between perceptions of diseases, socio-economic and demographic factors on one hand and health-seeking behavior on the other. Measures of health-seeking behavior used in the study include: (i) immunization status of the mother and her youngest child, (ii) diarrhea treatment and (iii) ever use of oral rehydration therapy. Indicators of perceptions included in the study are those related to disease causation, susceptibility of one's children to diseases, efficacy of traditional disease preventive measures, seriousness of the latest episode of diarrhea and type and time for a child's last vaccination. Socio-economic and demographic attributes examined are: age, parental education, ethnicity, religion, area of upbringing, area of residence as well as selected indicators of socio-economic status. The study determined that most of the variables incorporated in the study are unable to discriminate between respondents at high and low risk of seeking efficacious sources of prevention or treatment of childhood diseases. The results demonstrate that, in spite of subtle differences within and between subgroups, there is an overwhelming preference for modern sources of treatment whether this is vaccination up-take or diarrhea treatment.
