Effect of community integrated management of childhood illness on mothers’ healthcare-seeking behaviour and home management of childhood illness in Ile Ife, South-West Nigeria: A household survey

Background. Care-seeking interventions, as part of community integrated management of childhood illness (CIMCI), have the potential to substantially reduce child mortality in countries where common childhood illnesses are a major problem. Prompt and appropriate care-seeking practices are important to avoid many deaths attributed to delays in or not seeking care, particularly in developing countries such as Nigeria. Objective. To assess the effect of community-level intervention on mothers' care-seeking behaviour for common childhood illnesses and related influencing factors. Methods. The study had a comparative cross-sectional design and was conducted in two local government areas (LGAs) of Osun State, South-West Nigeria. A total of 722 mothers of index children aged