Treatment Of Childhood Fall-Related Injuries In The New Juaben Municipality Of Ghana: Implications For Improving Traditional Health Practice

This study explored the treatment regimens available for childhood fall-related injuries and the factors contributing to the choice of the regimen. The study is carried out against the background that traditional bone setters (TBS) have wider clientele base and patients with fractures seek health care first from TBS but when there are complications, seek emergency care from allopathic health practitioners.  A cross-sectional descriptive design which used both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection was adopted for the study. A total of 600 respondents and 24 key informants were drawn from 12 out of the 52 communities in the municipality using simple random sampling techniques. It was found that most children (58.3%) suffering from minor fall-related injuries (cuts and scrapes) are treated with menthol-like ointment usually purchased from pharmacy shops. However, many of those with dislocation and fractures are treated by traditional bone setters, with a small number seeking medical care from the hospitals. The socio-demographic variables such as educational background, income, marital status and parity were found to influence the choice of treatment for childhood fall-related injuries. Moreover, there was no clear trend emerging when the socio-demographic characteristics of respondents were analysed.