Caregivers’ socio-cultural influences on health-seeking behavior for their wasted children among forcibly displaced Myanmar Nationals and their nearest host communities

Introduction: A total of 19% of forcibly displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMNs) Bangladesh fall within the age range of under five years old, while an average of 1% exhibit severe malnutrition. Cox's Bazar is the closest host community for FDMNs, with similar traditional culture and religion and shared linguistic, ethnic, and cultural ties. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted to investigate the impact of socio-cultural factors on the healthcare-seeking behavior of caregivers of critically malnourished children in FDMN camps and neighboring host communities. Results: The utilization of informal healthcare by caregivers in both populations can be attributed to cultural attitudes, taboos, and peer pressure. The healthcare by practices in the FDMN camps and host towns were primarily affected by household responsibilities,…