Mothers/caregivers healthcare seeking behavior towards childhood illness in selected health centers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a facility-based cross-sectional study

Table 2 Mothers/caregivers previous experiences and actions taken for the sick child, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Variables	Frequency (n)	Percentage (%)
Previous experience of similar illnesses
Yes	38	9.0
No	384	91.0
Previous experience of under-five child death
Yes	39	9.2
No	55	90. 8
If yes, what was the possible cause of death
Due to illness and after treatment	17	43.6
Due to illness and on treatment	19	48.7
Due to illness and without no any treatment	3	7.7
Possible reasons not to take the child to health facility within 24 h*
Mild illnesses	150	35.5
Self-Limiting	149	35.3
Lack of time	25	5.9
Shortage of money	24	5.7
Others^a	26	6.16
Action taken within 24 h
I treat the child at home with safe homemade remedy	138	32.7
I treat the child with available modern medicine at home	80	19.0
I purchase modern medicine from community pharmacy	76	18.0
Others ^b	16	3.8

Note: Others ^a: - Mothers/caregivers perceived illnesses is due to teething so, waited till the illness gets improved; took to community pharmacy; thought the illnesses is not curable
Others ^b: - Took to religious place; traditional healers
*Numbers do not sum up to 310 because answers were with multiple responses

ISSN: 1471-2431