title: Caretaker's perceptions, attitudes and practices regarding childhood febrile illness and diarrhoeal diseases among riparian communities of Lake Victoria, Tanzania.
abstract: Understanding community perceptions and attitudes towards childhood illness is important in developing appropriate interventions. A cross sectional survey was therefore, conducted in a riparian community of Lake Victoria basin in Tanzania to determine caretakers' perception, attitudes and practices on childhood malaria and diarrhoeal diseases. Among 336 caretakers interviewed, 61.1% (205) reported febrile illness in children within three months and 26.0% reported a diarrhoeal episode among children within two weeks before the survey. The majority of the respondents reported high fever (98.7%) and prostration (53.7%) as major symptoms of severe malaria. Convulsions were associated with high fever by only 13.7% of the respondents. Forty percent of the respondents attributed convulsions in children to either fever or malaria, and 24.4% correctly mentioned high fever or malaria. A health facility was the first point of care for childhood malaria for the majority (73%) of the respondents. In diarrhoeal diseases, prostration-weakness (67.7%) and dysentery (20.4%) were commonly reported among the respondents. Typical symptoms of severe dehydration (sunken eyes, loss of skin turgor, dry tears) were poorly recognised as characteristics of severe diarrhoeal diseases. Over 85% of the respondents practiced appropriate dietary measures or increased fluid intake for a child who had diarrhoea. Use of anti-diarrhoea (40.8%) and antibiotic medications (34.8%) were common in the treatment of diarrhoeal diseases. It is important that health education emphasizing recognitions of danger signs/symptoms of malaria and diarrhoeal diseases and their management is strengthened among riparian communities in Lake Victoria basin.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Medical Research, Mwanza Research Centre, P.O. Box 1462, Mwanza, Tanzania. gmkaatano@yahoo.com
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Kaatano
authors.forename: A I S
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Muro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Medard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology