STATE-LEVEL SPATIAL PATTERN OF CAREGIVER-REPORTED ACUTE RESPIRATORY INFECTION SYMPTOMS AMONG CHILDREN UNDER FIVE IN NIGERIA: EVIDENCE FROM THE 2021 MICS 0 0
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.83374/jesber.vol1no2.68Keywords:
Caregiver-reported ARI symptoms, Spatial autocorrelation, Healthcare utilization, State-level poverty, Household crowding, Under-five mortality, NigeriaAbstract
Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) remain a leading cause of under-five mortality in Nigeria, yet interventions often overlook localized spatial dynamics and healthcare barriers. This study examines geographic variations, socioeconomic risk factors, and healthcare-seeking behaviors associated with caregiver-reported childhood ARIs symptoms in Nigeria. Utilizing cross-sectional data from the 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, caregiver-reported ARI symptoms spatial distribution was analyzed using Moran’s I techniques. An Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression model assessed the impact of structural vulnerabilities on state-level caregiver-reported ARI prevalence, while descriptive statistics evaluated healthcare utilization. A stark North-South divide was identified (Global Moran's I = 0.377, p < .001), with critical hotspots clustered in Katsina, Zamfara, and Yobe. The OLS regression explained 36.6% of state-level variance (F(2, 34) = 11.41, p < .001), isolating poverty (β = 0.025, p = .034) and household crowding (β = 1.667, p = .032) as key predictors whose inclusion absorbed all spatial autocorrelation. Formal healthcare utilization was critically low (39.4%). Care-seeking failure reached 36.3% among urban caregivers compared to 22.1% in rural areas due to indirect costs. Private providers and pharmacies outpaced public facilities (39.1% vs. 34.7%), while high wealth and maternal education significantly reduced non-seeking behavior. The northern ARI burden is driven by concentrated socioeconomic and infrastructural deprivation rather than geography alone. Low care-seeking rates reveal severe financial barriers and heavy reliance on informal private networks. Interventions must prioritize targeted funding for northern hotspots, enforce ventilation building codes, subsidize clean-cooking stoves, and integrate private vendors into formal health networks.Downloads
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