Assessment of child health access barriers in a rural district of Ghana

• Restricted to UC San Diego use only

• 2011

• Kroening-Roche, Jason

Introduction : Data on socioeconomic factors in relation to health outcomes, including access to care, are lacking in the Akatsi District in Ghana. We hypothesized that factors such as great distance from the clinic and low socioeconomic status lead to delays in seeking care for children in the district. Methods : A health needs assessment of children ages 0-5 years was conducted at the outpatient departments of four healthcare facilities in the Akatsi town center over six weeks in June and July of 2008. Every healthcare facility in the town center was represented. Mothers were administered the questionnaire on a voluntary basis while their child or children awaited care. Results : 287 children were eligible and included in the study. Greater than 93% of all children were vaccinated according to the recommended vaccination schedule and 88% reported to sleep under mosquito nets, although no frequency data was obtained. Significant relationships were found between a low economic index and mothers at or less than a primary level of education (OR 3.65, 95% CI 2.06-6.48) and among children living greater than or equal to five kilometers from the clinic (OR 4.75, 95% CI 2.56-8.79). There were no significant correlations between length of illness prior to visiting a clinic and age, insurance coverage, education of the mother, economic index, or distance from the clinic. Conclusions : Living at great distance from a health care facility as well as other socioeconomic factors in the Akatsi District do not predispose to greater morbidity (as defined by length of illness) among children aged 0-5 years

1 online resource ([15] p.)

• Academic Dissertations

• Dissertations, Academic--School of Medicine. (Discipline)--UCSD

• text

Thesis (M.D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2011

Forms part of the UCSD School of Medicine independent study projects, Class of 2011

Includes bibliographical references (p. [14]-[15])

• Jason Kroening-Roche

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2020-10-22