Home care management of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) by mothers among 0-6 year old children in three rural barangays in Antique

Abstract

This research study was conducted to identify the factors with home care management of mothers on their children with URTI in the three rural barangays (Sta. Ana, San Joaquin, and Badiangan) of Pandan, Antique. Specifically, this study aimed to determine their personal characteristics, their level of knowledge about URTI, prevention, promotion, and treatment, their attitude towards their sick children, and their home care management. More importantly, it emphasizes on whether there is relationship between the level of knowledge of the respondents, their attitude and their home care management. This is a descriptive-relational study which employed the one-shot survey design. The survey included 104 mothers with children 0-6 years old diagnosed with URTI who were interviewed using structured interview. The instrument was prepared in English and translated in Antiqueno dialect. Data were processed and analyzed using the SPSS version 17.0 wherein the frequency and percentage of the variables were determined. In determining the relationship between variables, gamma coefficient statistics was employed and interpreted based on the scale of coefficient of correlation and descriptive equivalent of Garret’s interpretation.

Major Findings

The major findings were the following: Most of the respondents in the three rural barangays covered were 30 years old and above, have attained high school or elementary level of education and with monthly family income of Php 5,000 and below. Majority of the respondents had average level of knowledge about URTI, prevention, promotion, and treatment. Though most of them have average level of knowledge, they showed very good attitude and practiced very good home care management of URTI. Another notable finding of this study was that educational attainment has substantial relationship with the level of knowledge and attitude. Family income was noted to be substantially related only to home care management. However, age was not found to have a significant relationship with other variables. Moreover, knowledge of the respondents exhibited substantial relationship with their home care management. A significant relationship was also found between level of knowledge and home care management when attitude was controlled. On the other hand, attitude was found to have no significant relationship with other variables.