Knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices related to chronic suppurative otitis media and hearing impairment in Pokhara, Nepal

International Journal of Pediatrics

Lilford

Tucci

et al. 2017

Middle ear infections are common in children, and delay in diagnosis and treatment may result in complications such as delays in speech and language development and deafness. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and care seeking behaviour for middle ear infections in children under five years in Kigali city. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 810 children aged 6–59 months in Gasabo district of Kigali city, Rwanda. The prevalence of middle ear infections was 5.8%, of whom 4% had chronic suppurative otitis media. A child was less likely to develop middle ear infections if they lived in an urban setting (OR = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.285–0.958) but more likely to develop middle ear infections if exposed to household smoke (OR = 2.54, 95% CI: 1.18–5.46). Parents were unlikely to know that their child had an ear infection (OR: 0.15, 95% CI: 0.06–0.34). Middle ear infection remains a public health problem in Rwanda but many parents were not aware of its presence in the affected children. There is a need to raise awareness of parents about ear infection and to promote early care seeking from qualified health workers.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This practice should be shunned. Factors associated with risky health-seeking behaviour include lack of awareness, poverty, beliefs, and unfavorable health systems [ 19 , 29 , 32 , 40 , 44 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of Middle Ear Infections and Associated Risk Factors in Children under 5 Years in Gasabo District of Kigali City, Rwanda

International Journal of Pediatrics

Lilford

Tucci

et al. 2017

“…Optimal health seeking behaviour often depends on accessibility of health facilities coupled with knowledge and understanding of the benefit of modern medical treatment as opposed to local customs and beliefs [ 21 – 23 ]. Regarding use of traditional medicine, the WHO states that “rampant poverty is the prime cause for use, misuse and abuse of traditional medicine” [ 20 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Knowledge and care seeking practices for ear infections among parents of under five children in Kigali, Rwanda: a cross-sectional study

BMC Ear Nose Throat Disord

Waiswa

Lilford

et al. 2017

BackgroundInfections affecting the middle ear are a common childhood occurrence. Some cases may present with ear discharge through a tympanic membrane perforation which may heal spontaneously. However, up to 5% or more cases of those affected have persistent ear discharge. A number of barriers contribute towards delayed presentation at health facilities for treatment of ear infections. We conducted a study to evaluate parents’ and caregivers’ knowledge and care seeking practices for ear infections in children under five in Gasabo district in Kigali, Rwanda.MethodsParents/guardians (n = 810) were interviewed using a structured questionnaire to elicit their knowledge of ear infections in children under five and their attitude to seeking care for their children.ResultsThe mean age of the respondents was 31.27 years (SD = 7.88, range 17–83). Considering an average of knowledge parameters which included causes, symptoms, prevention, treatment and consequences of ear infections, we found that 76.6% (622) of respondents were knowledgeable about ear infections. We defined a positive practice as seeking medical treatment (community health workers or health facility) and this was found in 89.1% (722) respondents. Correlating knowledge with choice of seeking treatment, respondents were 33% less likely to practice medical pluralism (OR = 0.33, CI 0.11–0.97, P = 0.043) if they were familiar with infections. Moreover, urban dweller were 1.7 times more likely to know ear infections compared to rural dwellers (OR = 1.70, CI 1.22–2.38, P = 0.002).ConclusionThe majority of respondents had good knowledge and positive attitudes and practices about ear infection. However, medical pluralism was common. There is need to improve the community’s awareness and access to primary health care facilities for the care of ear infections especially in rural areas of Rwanda.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12901-017-0040-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

“…Various studies have shown that lack of awareness leads the patients to delay care seeking. This is true not only in Rwanda [ 18 ] but also in other regions [ 26 , 27 ]. Chandrashekharayya SH.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Causes of Delayed Care Seeking for Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media at a Rwandan Tertiary Hospital

Nshimirimana

International Journal of Otolaryngology

2018

Background Chronic suppurative otitis media causes serious lifelong consequences when treatment is delayed. Early detection and effective treatment result in a good outcome and possible complications are thus avoided. The aim of this study was to determine the factors resulting in delayed care seeking for treatment of CSOM. Method and Patient The study was a cross-sectional survey conducted at a tertiary teaching hospital in Rwanda. A questionnaire was used to collect data of patients diagnosed with CSOM who attended ENT Department during the study period. We defined delayed care seeking as seeking treatment 6 months after onset of symptoms. Data was entered and analysed using SPSS 16.0. Result This study enrolled 109 patients, 97 (88.9%) of whom had delays in care seeking. Majority were young adults ranging between 21 and 30 years (39.2%) while 58.8% were rural residents. Fifty-eight patients (56.9%) of those with delayed presentation used traditional medicine. The main reason for delayed care seeking was low knowledge of CSOM reported by 88 (90.7%) patients. Conclusion This study shows that majority of patients with delayed care seeking are young adult patients. There is low knowledge concerning this disease and this significantly contributes to delayed care seeking.