Table 3.
Number and percent of cases (n = 36) that reported health-seeking behaviour, treatment sought, and reasons for no treatment of acute gastrointestinal illness in 10 Batwa settlements in southwestern Uganda, January 2013
| Variable | No. of cases (%) |
|---|---|
| Sought healthcare (n = 36) | |
| Yes | 25 (69) |
| No | 11 (31) |
| Healthcare provider visited (n = 25) | |
| Physician/nurse | 23 (92) |
| Herbalist | 2 (8) |
| Factors influencing decision to seek healthcare (n = 24) | |
| Symptoms lasted a long time | 14 (58) |
| Felt sick enough to go | 8 (33) |
| Had a fever | 5 (21) |
| Had vomiting | 8 (33) |
| Had diarrhoea | 10 (42) |
| Stools were bloody | 2 (8) |
| Wanted medication | 2 (8) |
| Type of medication to treat symptoms (n = 36) | |
| Herbal remedies from a garden | 17 (47) |
| Prescription medications | 7 (19) |
| Painkillers (e.g. acetaminophen, ibuprofen) | 14 (39) |
| Antidiarrhoeal | 7 (19) |
| Rehydration therapies | 1 (3) |
| Main reason medical care was not sought (n = 11) | |
| Financial difficulty | 6 (55) |
| Physician not available in the area | 2 (19) |
| Did not get around to it | 1 (9) |
| Transportation problems | 0 (0) |
| Dislike or distrust doctors or nurses | 3 (27) |