A cross-sectional study on factors associated with health care seeking for acute respiratory infection and fever in children under-five in Zambia

INTRODUCTION: mortality in under-five children remains a significant challenge in developing countries, including Zambia, where pneumonia and malaria account for twenty percent of under-five deaths. Poor health care seeking is one of the contributors to the high mortality rates. This study examined the predictors of health care seeking for acute respiratory infection (ARI) and fever among under-five children in Zambia. METHODS: the study used a population based cross-sectional survey program evaluation dataset with sample size of 12,507 households from 28 districts. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the determinants of appropriate care seeking for ARI or fever, ARI, and fever. RESULTS: the prevalence of fever or ARI in children under five was 22.9%, ARI 12.9%, and fever 13.4%. Educational status and non-participation in positive deviance hearth (PDH) were significant predictors in those with fever or ARI. Children whose household head had secondary education or higher were 4.5 times more likely to seek care than those whose household head did not have any education. Among those with ARI, educational status, women empowerment in decision-making and growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) were significant predictors while for fever only GMP was a significant predictor. CONCLUSION: over two thirds of caregivers sought care appropriately for fever or ARI. Only educational status and GMP were associated with more than one appropriate care seeking outcome. Through GMP services, policymakers can improve healthcare seeking behavior in children under five.