Factors Influencing Caregiver Health-Seeking Behaviour for Febrile Illness in Children Under Five in Benue State, North Central Nigeria

Fever is one of the most common symptoms prompting caregivers to seek healthcare for young children, yet delays and inappropriate treatment choices remain widespread in rural Nigeria. This study investigates the factors influencing health-seeking behaviour among caregivers of febrile children under five years in Benue State, North Central Nigeria. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in three rural local government areas, with 310 caregivers selected through multistage sampling. A structured questionnaire was used to assess initial treatment choices, time to care-seeking, healthcare facility preference, and associated socioeconomic and cultural determinants. Results showed that only 38.7% of caregivers sought formal healthcare within 24 hours of fever onset. Patent medicine vendors were the first point of contact for 44.2% of respondents, while 17.1% initially consulted traditional healers. Key facilitators of prompt formal care-seeking included higher maternal education, proximity to health facilities, and prior experience of child hospitalisation. Barriers included financial constraints, long waiting times, and perceived inefficacy of hospital treatments. Malaria was the presumptive diagnosis for 68.3% of febrile episodes, though confirmatory testing was performed in fewer than 20% of cases. The study recommends community health worker deployment, targeted health education using local languages, and improved access to subsidised malaria diagnostics and treatment. Keywords: health-seeking behaviour, febrile illness, under-five children, Benue State, North Central Nigeria.