The focus of the social science research on child health in
developing countries is mainly confined in identifying the underlying
determinants of morbidity and mortality. The underlying determinants of
treatment seeking behavior during common childhood illnesses largely
remain unexplored though it is an outcome of interactions among a
number of spatial. demographic and socioeconomic factors. Treatment
seeking in either the public or the private medical sector is also important
as motivation to seek quality treatment by incurring cost associated with it.
Using data from National Family and Health Survey (NFHS-2), 1998-99,
this paper tries to identify various factors. which might have direct or
indirect linkages with treatment seeking behavior during common
childhood illnesses. The result of multinomial logistic regressions show that
spatial factors like region and place of residence demographic factors like
child's age, birth order and sex of the child and socioeconomic factors
such as maternal education. standard of living of the household, religion
anti caste. work status of the mother and exposure to mass media are
significantly associated with treatment seeking behavior, especially in
seeking treatment front private medical sector.
