title: Perception of severity of acute respiratory tract infections and diarrhoea in children under the age of five in rural India: utilization pattern of health services.
abstract: A cross-sectional survey of 970 children under the age of 5 in 870 households showed a biweekly incidence of acute respiratory tract infections (ARIs) and diarrhoea of 9 and 8.7%, respectively. Ninety per cent of the mothers, irrespective of their educational status, could identify correctly the severe forms of the illness. When perceived as severe the majority (75%) of them went to unqualified indigenous practitioners and only when perceived as mild did they use the government services. This shows that the user preferences for acute healthcare services vary with their perception of the illness and unqualified practitioners are the main source of healthcare providers especially in the rural areas.
authors.affiliation: Teignbridge Primary Care Trust, Newton Abbot, Devon, UK.
authors.forename: Anandhi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nagaraj
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Nagaraj
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lobo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006303:Health Services, Indigenous / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000628:therapy*; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012424:Rural Population