DOI: 10.5061/dryad.g4f4qrfzd
title: Data from: Determinants of appropriate health-seeking behavior for febrile illness among caregivers of children under 5 years in Busia county, Kenya

description: Background of the study: Globally, about 75% of under-five deaths are
 still caused by febrile illnesses such as pneumonia, malaria, and typhoid
 fever. In Kenya, more than 10 million episodes of acute febrile illness
 are treated annually among under-five-children. According to the Kenya
 Demographic and Health Survey, during the two weeks before the survey, 2%
 of children under age 5 showed symptoms of an ARI, 17% exhibited fever,
 and 14% experienced diarrhea. Therefore, this study ascertained the
 proportion and determinants of health-seeking behavior (HSB) for febrile
 illness and generated information that informs the efforts towards timely
 seeking care for febrile illness among caregivers under under-five.
 Objective: To determine the proportion and the determinants of
 health-seeking behavior (HSB) for febrile illness among caregivers of
 children under five years in Butula Sub- County, Busia County, Kenya.
 Methods and Materials: The study was conducted in Busia County using a
 cross-sectional design, which utilized a mixed method approach. The study
 population was caregivers for the under five years old children in the
 Butula sub-county. The participants were selected using systematic random
 sampling with the guide from Butula sub-county register. Quantitative data
 was to be gathered from caregivers using questionnaires, and data from
 health facility staff (key informants) and community health volunteers
 (focus group discussion) was used for qualitative data. Qualitative data
 was transcribed, entered, coded, and analyzed thematically. For
 quantitative data, categorical variables were analyzed using frequencies,
 percentages, and mean and standard deviations in Statistical Package for
 Social Scientists (SPSS). To test association, chi-squire was used while
 multivariable analysis was done using binominal regression with a p
 &lt; 0.05 as statistically significant at a 95% confidence level.
 Results: The quantitative data was gathered from 271 caregivers,
 while qualitative data was obtained from two focused groups, each
 involving five community health volunteers and interviews from 6 key
 informants. A majority of the participants were aged between 21-30 years
 (42.1%, n = 114), were females (84.1%, n = 228), had secondary education
 (44.6%, n = 121), were farmers by occupation (39.9%, n = 108), earned less
 than KES. 5000 (75.3%, n = 204), were from nuclear households (79.3%, n =
 215), and had at most two children at home (48.7%, n = 132). The
 proportion of children under five years old with febrile illness was 64.6%
 (n = 175), with 70.1% (n = 190) of the participants indicating they sought
 care for a child's fever within 24 hours. Individual factors
 influencing good health-seeking behavior 24 hours after controlling
 confounders were unemployment (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.49, 95% CI:
 0.217 – 0.593, p = 0.018), preferring self-medication over profession care
 (aOR = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.054 – 0.363, p &lt; 0.001), had two or more
 children (aOR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.425 – 0.937, p = 0.042), and being
 confident in identifying fever (aOR = 7.0, 95% CI: 2.200 – 22.439, p =
 0.001). The health system-related factors with statistically significant
 association to health-seeking behavior were caregivers who felt a facility
 was far (aOR = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.526 – 0.914, p = 0.027), those who received
 health education from the staffs' olds (aOR = 1.8, 95%CI:
 1.201-4.122, p=0.015), and the level of facility (aOR = 4.4, 95% CI: 2.015
 – 9.750, p &lt; 0.001). Qualitatively, patient ignorance, stock-outs,
 facility distance, staff workload, and poverty among caregivers were
 identified as factors influencing health-seeking behavior.
 Conclusion: In our study, many caregivers take more than 24 hours
 to seek care for fever. Among the identified individual factors associated
 with health-seeking behavior were unemployment, those who preferred
 self-medication for their child's fever, having two or more children,
 and being comfortable identifying fever in children under five. The health
 system factors that were identified to have a negative impact on
 health-seeking behavior within 24 hours were a facility being too far,
 staff workload, drug stock out, and inadequate sensitization due to a
 shortage of community outreach programs.
description: A semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire
 containing five parts was developed. At least two research assistants were
 recruited to administer the questionnaires to the mother and help fill
 them out. The research assistants then face-to-face interviewed the
 caregivers guided by the questionnaire.The quantitative data was manually
 entered into Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) version 25,
 whereby descriptive analysis was done. The descriptive statistics,
 frequency, proportion, and measures of central tendency, like mode, were
 analyzed and illustrated in tables, figures, and graphs. Inferential
 statistical analysis included using the chi-square test of the association
 to measure levels of association between independent variables.
description: # Determinants of appropriate health-seeking behavior for febrile illness
 among caregivers of children under 5 years in Butula sub-county, Busia
 county, Kenya
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.g4f4qrfzd](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.g4f4qrfzd) The data herein attached has 2 excel files which contain the raw general data and coding values. The files are structured in a way that it captures the demographic characteristics of the participants (care givers and their children,then prevelance,individual and institutional determinants of appropriate health seeking behaviour for febrile illness among caregivers of underfive . Consent forms were structured into sections that covered the study's aim, participants' expectations, risks, and benefits.Personal identifiers, such as participant names, were not captured on the study questionnaire. Only the principal investigator had access to the signed informed consent. Additionally, identifiers that could potentially lead to identification of participants were reduced to three variables to enhance the their privacy. The research assistants were supervised to ensure the data collected was good quality. The chances of interview bias were minimized with supervision and continuous guidance. Abbreviations and Codes: A2-A272(Adult Â :1=male, 2= female) B2-B272(Marital status):0=divorced/separated, 1=single,2=married,3= C2-C272(Presence of febrile illness:1= No ,2=yes) Characteristics of appropriate health seeking behavior D2-D272(1=feeling by hand ,2=thermometer) E2-E272(1=Within 24 hours 2=24-48 hours,3=48-72 hours F2-F272(1=CHvs, 2=pharmacist Â Â 3=clinicians) H2-H272(1=Yes no=2) K2-N272, N2-N272] Individual determinants 5=strongly agree ,4=Agree,3=not sure, 2=disagree 1=strongly disagree [P2-P272,U2-U272]Health system Â determinants Agree strongly agree disagree strongly disagree 5=strongly agree ,4=Agree,3=not sure, 2=disagree 1=strongly disagree V2-V272:number of participants