Determinants and pathways of healthcare-seeking behaviours in under-5 children for common childhood illnesses and antibiotic prescribing: a cohort study in rural India

Objectives To explore the healthcare-seeking pathways, antibiotic prescribing and determine the sociodemographic factors associated with healthcare-seeking behaviour (HSB) of caregivers for common illnesses in under-5 (U-5) children in rural Ujjain, India.Study design Prospective cohort study.Study...

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Main Authors: Vishal Diwan, Gaetano Marrone, Ashish Pathak, Cecilia Stålsby Lundborg, Megha Sharma, Shweta Khare, Manju Raj Purohit, Ashok J Tamhankar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2021-12-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/12/e052435.full
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author Vishal Diwan
Gaetano Marrone
Ashish Pathak
Cecilia Stålsby Lundborg
Megha Sharma
Shweta Khare
Manju Raj Purohit
Ashok J Tamhankar
author_facet Vishal Diwan
Gaetano Marrone
Ashish Pathak
Cecilia Stålsby Lundborg
Megha Sharma
Shweta Khare
Manju Raj Purohit
Ashok J Tamhankar
author_sort Vishal Diwan
collection DOAJ
description Objectives To explore the healthcare-seeking pathways, antibiotic prescribing and determine the sociodemographic factors associated with healthcare-seeking behaviour (HSB) of caregivers for common illnesses in under-5 (U-5) children in rural Ujjain, India.Study design Prospective cohort study.Study setting and study sample The cohort included 270 U-5 children from selected six villages in rural demographic surveillance site, of the R.D. Gardi Medical College, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. A community-based cohort was visited two times weekly for over 113 weeks (August 2014 to October 2016) to record the HSB of caregivers using HSB diaries. Sociodemographic information was also solicited.Primary and secondary outcome measures Primary outcomes: first point of care, healthcare-seeking pathway and quantify antibiotic prescribing for the common acute illnesses.Secondary outcome HSB risk factors were determined using mixed-effects multinomial logistic regression.Results A total of 60 228 HSB follow-up time points for 270 children were recorded with a total of 2161 acute illness episodes. The most common illnesses found were respiratory tract infections (RTI) (69%) and gastrointestinal tract infections (8%). No healthcare was sought in 33% of illness episodes, mostly for RTIs. The most common healthcare-seeking pathway was to informal healthcare providers (IHCPs, 49% of illness episodes). The adjusted relative risk for obtaining no treatment, home treatment and treatment by IHCPs was higher for RTIs (aRR=11.54, 1.82 and 1.29, respectively), illiterate mothers (aRR=2.86, 2.38 and 1.93, respectively), and mothers who were homemakers (aRR=2.90, 4.17 and 2.10, respectively). Socioeconomic status was associated with HSB, with the highest aRR for no treatment in the lowest two socioeconomic quintiles (aRR=6.59 and 6.39, respectively). Antibiotics were prescribed in 46% (n=670/1450) illness episodes and the majority (85%, n=572/670) were broad spectrum.Conclusion In our rural cohort for many acute episodes of illnesses, no treatment or home treatment was done, which resulted in overall reduced antibiotic prescribing. The most common healthcare-seeking pathway was to visit IHCPs, which indicates that they are major healthcare providers in rural areas. Most of the antibiotics were prescribed by IHCPs and were commonly prescribed for illnesses where they were not indicated.
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spelling doaj-art-549ae3f90f4d40f4b4715bfc7f7252552024-12-08T16:25:10ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552021-12-01111210.1136/bmjopen-2021-052435Determinants and pathways of healthcare-seeking behaviours in under-5 children for common childhood illnesses and antibiotic prescribing: a cohort study in rural IndiaVishal Diwan0Gaetano Marrone1Ashish Pathak2Cecilia Stålsby Lundborg3Megha Sharma4Shweta Khare5Manju Raj Purohit6Ashok J Tamhankar78 Division of Environmental Monitoring and Exposure Assessment (Water and Soil), ICMR—National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, 462030 Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India1 Health Systems and Policy (HSP): Medicines, focusing antibiotics, Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden3 Department of Pediatrics, Ruxmaniben Deepchand Gardi Medical College, 456006 Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India1 Health Systems and Policy (HSP): Medicines, focusing antibiotics, Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden1 Health Systems and Policy (HSP): Medicines, focusing antibiotics, Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden1 Health Systems and Policy (HSP): Medicines, focusing antibiotics, Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden1 Health Systems and Policy (HSP): Medicines, focusing antibiotics, Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden1 Health Systems and Policy (HSP): Medicines, focusing antibiotics, Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, SwedenObjectives To explore the healthcare-seeking pathways, antibiotic prescribing and determine the sociodemographic factors associated with healthcare-seeking behaviour (HSB) of caregivers for common illnesses in under-5 (U-5) children in rural Ujjain, India.Study design Prospective cohort study.Study setting and study sample The cohort included 270 U-5 children from selected six villages in rural demographic surveillance site, of the R.D. Gardi Medical College, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. A community-based cohort was visited two times weekly for over 113 weeks (August 2014 to October 2016) to record the HSB of caregivers using HSB diaries. Sociodemographic information was also solicited.Primary and secondary outcome measures Primary outcomes: first point of care, healthcare-seeking pathway and quantify antibiotic prescribing for the common acute illnesses.Secondary outcome HSB risk factors were determined using mixed-effects multinomial logistic regression.Results A total of 60 228 HSB follow-up time points for 270 children were recorded with a total of 2161 acute illness episodes. The most common illnesses found were respiratory tract infections (RTI) (69%) and gastrointestinal tract infections (8%). No healthcare was sought in 33% of illness episodes, mostly for RTIs. The most common healthcare-seeking pathway was to informal healthcare providers (IHCPs, 49% of illness episodes). The adjusted relative risk for obtaining no treatment, home treatment and treatment by IHCPs was higher for RTIs (aRR=11.54, 1.82 and 1.29, respectively), illiterate mothers (aRR=2.86, 2.38 and 1.93, respectively), and mothers who were homemakers (aRR=2.90, 4.17 and 2.10, respectively). Socioeconomic status was associated with HSB, with the highest aRR for no treatment in the lowest two socioeconomic quintiles (aRR=6.59 and 6.39, respectively). Antibiotics were prescribed in 46% (n=670/1450) illness episodes and the majority (85%, n=572/670) were broad spectrum.Conclusion In our rural cohort for many acute episodes of illnesses, no treatment or home treatment was done, which resulted in overall reduced antibiotic prescribing. The most common healthcare-seeking pathway was to visit IHCPs, which indicates that they are major healthcare providers in rural areas. Most of the antibiotics were prescribed by IHCPs and were commonly prescribed for illnesses where they were not indicated.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/12/e052435.full
spellingShingle Vishal Diwan
Gaetano Marrone
Ashish Pathak
Cecilia Stålsby Lundborg
Megha Sharma
Shweta Khare
Manju Raj Purohit
Ashok J Tamhankar
Determinants and pathways of healthcare-seeking behaviours in under-5 children for common childhood illnesses and antibiotic prescribing: a cohort study in rural India
BMJ Open
title Determinants and pathways of healthcare-seeking behaviours in under-5 children for common childhood illnesses and antibiotic prescribing: a cohort study in rural India
title_full Determinants and pathways of healthcare-seeking behaviours in under-5 children for common childhood illnesses and antibiotic prescribing: a cohort study in rural India
title_fullStr Determinants and pathways of healthcare-seeking behaviours in under-5 children for common childhood illnesses and antibiotic prescribing: a cohort study in rural India
title_full_unstemmed Determinants and pathways of healthcare-seeking behaviours in under-5 children for common childhood illnesses and antibiotic prescribing: a cohort study in rural India
title_short Determinants and pathways of healthcare-seeking behaviours in under-5 children for common childhood illnesses and antibiotic prescribing: a cohort study in rural India
title_sort determinants and pathways of healthcare seeking behaviours in under 5 children for common childhood illnesses and antibiotic prescribing a cohort study in rural india
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/12/e052435.full
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