Does massaging work for children in Nigeria?

Introduction

Massaging children is commonly practiced among the Ijaw tribe in southern Nigeria. This study evaluates the reasons children are massaged by the Ijaws in southern Nigeria and the effectiveness of massaging therapy in children.

Method

This is a cross sectional study involving 137 heads of households with children between 0 – 15 years in Peremabiri, a rural community in Southern Nigeria. Data was collected on practices related to the massaging of children using a semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaire.

Result

Eighty five percent of the respondents had taken their children for massaging. Fifty one percent of the children were massaged because they had fever, 22% were massaged because of excessive crying while 18% were massaged because of complaint of body pain. Thirteen percent were massaged because they were vomiting, 6% because of cough and 3% because of diarrhea. There is no significant difference in the educational status of caregivers who massaged their children and those who did not (P=0.43)

Eighty seven percent of the respondents said that their children got well after the massaging. However, 95% of those whose children got well also gave their children other medications. The relative risk of recovery after massaging is 1.2 times as high in those that received medication compared to those who did not (95% CI 0.77 – 1.98).

Conclusion

Massaging seems to be an effective complementary therapy for handling diverse childhood illnesses among the Ijaw tribe in Southern Nigeria. However, there is need for more rigorous studies on the safety and effectiveness of massaging children in Nigeria