Caregivers’ Perspectives on Maternal and Child Health Service Use in Makete District, Tanzania: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Maternal and child health service utilisation remains an important concern in efforts to reduce preventable morbidity and mortality among children under five in Tanzania. This qualitative study explored the social and cultural dimensions at the household level that shape the use of maternal and child health care services in Makete District, Tanzania. The study involved 20 adult female caretakers of children under five years from Bulongwa and Utanziwa villages. Sixteen participants took part in in-depth interviews, while four participated in informal conversations. The study was informed by sociocultural theory, which supported attention to the meanings, interpretations, and experiences through which caretakers understood maternal and child health services. The findings showed that clinic attendance was viewed by many caretakers as beneficial for monitoring child health and detecting early signs of illness. However, short birth intervals, agricultural work demands, and stigma associated with child illness sometimes contributed to delayed or incomplete clinic attendance. Caretakers generally recognised the value of vaccines, but experiences of pain, swelling, and fear of adverse effects contributed to vaccine hesitancy among some participants. Trust in biomedical services encouraged service use, whereas perceived limitations of these services led some caretakers to rely on traditional healing. The study concludes that maternal and child health interventions should consider caregivers’ local meanings and lived experiences to strengthen service utilisation.