Bright Opoku Ahinkorah|Eugene Budu|Abdul?Aziz Seidu|Ebenezer Agbaglo|Collins Adu|Edward Kwabena Ameyaw|Irene Gyamfuah Ampomah|Anita Gracious Archer|Kwaku Kissah-Korsah|Sanni Yaya
Barriers to healthcare access and healthcare seeking for childhood illnesses among childbearing women in sub-Saharan Africa: A multilevel modelling of Demographic and Health Surveys
University of Technology Sydney|University of Cape Coast|James Cook University|University of Cape Coast|University of Cape Coast|Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology|University of Technology Sydney|James Cook University|University of Health and Allied Sciences|University of Cape Coast|George Institute for Global Health|University of Oxford|Global Affairs Canada|University of Ottawa
introduction success current policies interventions providing effective access treatment childhood illnesses hinges families decisions relating healthcare access subsaharan africa ssa uneven distribution child healthcare services investigated role played barriers healthcare accessibility healthcare seeking childhood illnesses among childbearing women ssa materials methods data 223184 children five extracted demographic health surveys 29 subsaharan african countries conducted 2010 2018 outcome variable study healthcare seeking childhood illnesses data analyzed using stata version 142 windows chisquare test independence twolevel multivariable multilevel modelling carried generate results statistical significance pegged plt005 relied strengthening reporting observational studies epidemiology strobe statement writing manuscript results eightyfive percent 855 women ssa sought healthcare childhood illnesses highest lowest prevalence gabon 750 zambia 926 respectively terms barriers healthcare access found women perceived getting money medical care self big problem aor 081 ci 078083 considered going medical care alone big problem aor 094 ci 091097 lower odds seeking healthcare children compared considered big problem factors predicted healthcare seeking childhood illnesses size child birth birth order age level community literacy community socioeconomic status place residence household head decisionmaker healthcare conclusion study revealed relationship barriers healthcare access healthcare seeking childhood illnesses subsaharan africa individual community level factors also predicted healthcare seeking childhood illnesses subsaharan africa suggests interventions aimed improving child healthcare subsaharan africa need focus factors