Ogbanje Phenomenon; Mothers Perception, and Childhood Morbidity MORBIDITY
Keywords:
Ogbanje, Mother’s perception, Childhood morbidityAbstract
Introduction: A cultural myth Ogbanje have existed among the Ibo people of Nigeria. These children may have morbidities that are manageable while some normal children may have to live with the stigma of being labelled such. The objective of this study was to assess mother’s perception of ogbanje phenomenon and morbidity in ogbanje children.
Material and Methods: This was a Cross-sectional study amongst mothers having the concept of “Ogbanje” children who were clinically examined. SPSS version 20.0 was used for data analysis. Variables were compared with χ2. p<0.05 was accepted as significant.
Results: A total of 64.8% believed in “Ogbanje”. Commonest presentation of “Ogbanje” was frequent illness (47.3%). Only 12(3.3%) would seek orthodox care for ogbanje children. Examined “ogbanje” children had sicklecell anaemia, structural anomalies, and diabetes. Four (9.5%; n=42) children were normal.
Conclusion: Ogbanje myth still exists in the minds of mothers and affects health seeking behaviour. Ogbanje children may have manageable illness and sometimes may be normal.