Abstract:
Background: Information on the existing morbidity patterns and health care seeking behavior (HCSB) is essential for the analysis of most health related policy issues and enable governments to provide a need-based health care especially to rural communities. Methods: A community based cross sectional study was conducted from September 1st, 2015 to December1st, 2015 in Mahsama village, Ismailia Governorate, Egypt to determine acute morbidity patterns and HCSB of 839 households. Data were acquired on predesigned and pretested questionnaire. The household heads were considered as the respondents. The questionnaire included information on household incidence of acute illnesses during the preceding 4 weeks and related HCSB. Results: 839 home interviews were conducted with household heads to assess their HCSB and morbidity profile of their family members within the preceding 4 weeks of the study. 442 of respondents (52.7%) reported 984 recent acute illnesses in their families. Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI) presented the most common disease (71.64%). Most patients (53.55%) consulted non-qualified providers. While 46.45% of patients preferred to consult qualified practitioners. The low cost (26.37%) and effectiveness of care (21.82%) were the main reasons behind the selection of the non-qualified providers. Respondents' education level, family income and perception of disease severity were also found to be the main determinants of this pattern of HCSB.Conclusion: it is important to develop a need based health care delivery system and actions focusing on the morbidity patterns and beliefs of local community to direct their HCSB to qualified providers.