HEALTH CARE PRACTICES OF CHILDREN (0-15YEARS) IN A RURAL COMMUNITY IN KAURA LOCAL GOVERNMENT, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

Kingsley Chinedu Okafor*, John Samson Bimba, Jacob Gokum Wongdem, Mosunmola Iwakun, Haroun O. Isah

Background: Healthcare refers to efforts made to maintain, restore, or promote someone’s physical, mental, or emotional well-being, especially when performed by trained and licensed professionals. Health care practices are intended to protect, promote or maintain health and well-being, and at the same time help to prevent disease, disability or death in a young person between infancy and puberty. Inadequate healthcare practices can negatively affect the quality of life of the children and the community at large. Aim: This study aimed to assess the healthcare practices of children between 0-15 years in Fada and Agban settlement in Kagoro town of Kaura Local government Area of southern part of Kaduna State. Methodology: A cross-sectional descriptive study design was used. Questionnaires were administered to 1035 households with Children under the age of 15. The households were selected by simple random sampling in Fada and Agban settlement In Kagoro town of Kaura Local government Area of southern part of Kaduna State. Data was entered into and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and presented in tables. Result: Majority of the respondents, about 98.6% took their immunization, 95.3% used the health care facility, 84% of households meet the health expenses via out of pocket (personal payment), 85.5% of parents get their information from the health facility and 61.1% parents go to health care workers when their children are sick. Conclusion: Results from this study showed that there were good health care practices of children between 0-15 years in the rural community. Therefore, programs that educate Children on these matters should be integrated into their curriculum. Community awareness, sensitization and the introduction of Health insurance should be encouraged to sustain these gains.