Abstract:
Background: Globally Malaria disease is among the leading cause of morbidity and mortality and it is one of the public health challenges in developing countries including Ethiopia. To prevent malaria from progressing to the more severe types and from increasing mortality, early and prompt treatment seeking is essential. Even though malaria treatment is widely available in Ethiopia, most of patients present treatment seeking after 24 hours of onset of first symptoms. But; there was no previous study that depict the determinants of this delayed treatment seeking among malaria patients in the Meta Wolkite district. Determinants of treatment seeking delay among malaria patients must therefore be identified in order to create interventions and strategies in the study area.
Objective: The main objective of this study was to identify the determinants of treatment seeking delay among malaria patients in Health Centers of Meta Wolkite District, Central Ethiopia, 2024.
Methods: A facility based case control study design was employed from February 1, 2024 to March 30, 2024, which involved a sample of 322 confirmed malaria patients (161 cases, and 161 controls). All the study participants enrolled were confirmed malaria patients and who sought treatment. The total sample size was proportionally allocated to each of the three health facilities based on the caseloads of the previous two months. Cases and controls were enrolled by consecutive sampling method until the required sample size was obtained with 1:1. Face to face interviews with structured and tested questionnaires were used to gather the data. Data were entered into EpiData 4.4.2 and exported to SPSS 23.0 for analysis. Hosmer and lem show goodness of fit were used to test the model fitness. The determinants of treatment seeking delay were determined using multivariable logistic regression analysis after bivariable analysis had been used to identify candidate determinants. AOR, p value of 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval has been judged statistically significant.
Results: Farmer occupation (AOR=3(1.002 8.7)), Prior malaria infection (AOR=0.2(0.09 0.47)), Traditional medicine use (AOR=4.8(2.1 11)), Practice of self medication (AOR=5.5(1.9 15.9)), Having health education on malaria infection (AOR=0.22(0.1 0.4)) and expensive health care cost (AOR=2.1(1 4.4)), were found to be important determinants of treatment seeking delay among malaria patients.
Conclusion and Recommendations: It was identified that determinants such as farmer occupation, prior malaria infection, traditional medicine use, practice of self medication, health education on malaria infection and expensive health care cost were determinants in treatment seeking delay. The district health offices and facilities should collaborate to provide regular health education, appropriate healthcare and minimize health care cost, and traditional healers’ inspections
