Healthcare Practices by Mothers in the Limpopo Province of South Africa: Modeling the Case of the Mopani District

Child morbidity is high in some parts of South Africa though there are a lot of interventions available to reduce childhood mortality. Some mothers lack knowledge about these interventions and this increases maternal and childhood mortality. This study seeks to determine the level of knowledge and practice mothers in Mopani have about child healthcare practices, and to model the determinants. A 3-stage sample survey, including stratified random sampling, was conducted covering all the municipalities in the district. About 1820 women in the childbearing age (that is, 13 to 49 years) were sampled and interviewed using structured questionnaires. Chi-square tests were carried out on categorical variables, and logistic and multiple regression analyses were performed for confirmations. From statistical analyses (catreg, logistic and multiple regressions) the study concludes that the following variables correlate with practices of child healthcare in the district: age, education, employment and the number of children a woman has. For the improvement of child health and survival, the study recommends primary healthcare education, immunization, oral rehydration therapy and prenatal medical check-ups.