Caregivers’ health-seeking behaviour for children participating in an integrated school health programme in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine
Field | Value | |
Title | Caregivers’ health-seeking behaviour for children participating in an integrated school health programme in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | |
Creator | Babatunde, Gbotemi B. Akintola, Olagoke | |
Description | Background: Caregivers are active members of the healthcare team, and the uniqueness of their role in caring for a sick child is holistic, as no other healthcare team member is consistently aware of all the facets of the child’s life. The integrated school health programme (ISHP) aims to improve access to healthcare services and promote equity for school-going children by delivering comprehensive healthcare services. However, not much attention has been paid to understanding caregivers’ health-seeking experiences within the context of the ISHP.Aim: This study sought to understand caregivers’ health-seeking behaviour for their children participating in the ISHP.Setting: Three low-resource communities were chosen within the eThekwini District of the KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa.Methods: This study utilised a qualitative research design. We recruited 17 caregivers using purposive sampling. Semistructured interviews were conducted, and the data were analysed using thematic analysis.Results: Caregivers explored multiple means of care, ranging from managing the children’s health conditions based on previous experiences to visiting traditional healers and administering traditional medicines. Caregivers delayed health seeking due to low literacy levels and financial barriers.Conclusion: Although ISHP has expanded its coverage and the range of services provided, the study suggests the need to implement interventions focused on providing support to caregivers of sick children within the ISHP context.Contribution: The findings of the study highlight the need to develop potential schemes to address transportation barriers to accessing healthcare services for school-going children. | |
Publisher | AOSIS | |
Date | 2023-02-17 | |
Identifier | 10.4102/phcfm.v15i1.3822 | |
Source | African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine; Vol 15, No 1 (2023); 8 pages 2071-2936 2071-2928 | |
Language | eng | |
Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3822/6086
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3822/6087
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3822/6088
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3822/6089
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