Healthcare-seeking behaviours among mother’s having under-five children with severe wasting in Dodoma and Mbeya regions of Tanzania-A qualitative study

Abstract

Maternal healthcare-seeking behaviour affects the health and well-being of under-five children. Drawing from the concepts of the health belief model, this study seeks to understand the determinants of health-seeking behaviours among mothers or caregivers of under-five-year-old children having severe wasting in Tanzania. A qualitative study employing the ethnography method conducted 32 semi-structured and narrative interviews with healthcare workers, community health workers, traditional healers, religious and village leaders, and mothers or caregivers of children who had acute malnutrition. The analysis of transcripts was done by qualitative content analysis. Further, the thematic analysis was carried out by assigning data into relevant codes to generate categories based on study objectives. Severe wasting among under-five-year-old children was not observed as a serious disease by the majority of mothers or caregivers. The study established that the health systems parameters such as the availability of the community health workers or healthcare providers and the availability of medicines and supplies to the health facility impact on mothers’ or caregivers’ healthcare-seeking behaviours. The findings also show that long distances to the health facility, behavioural parameters such as lack of awareness, negative perception of the management of severe wasting at the health facility, superstitious beliefs, women’s workload, household food insecurity, and gender issues have a significant role in seeking healthcare. The results reaffirm how a programme on integrated management of severe wasting in Tanzania should encompass sociocultural factors that negatively influence mothers or caregivers of children with acute malnutrition. The programme should focus on engaging community structures including traditional healers, religious and village leaders to address prevailing local beliefs and sociocultural factors.