Table 4 Inter-relationship between prompt care-seeking behavior, ideational and contextual psychosocial factors (N = 479)

Ideational psychosocial factors

 High care-seeking ideation (reference-low)

2.12

1.46–3.06

2.65

1.74–4.02

Contextual psychosocial factors

Region

 Amhara (reference)

1.00

N/A

1.00

N/A

 Oromia

2.19

1.23–3.91

2.99

1.40–6.41

 SNNPR

1.79

1.04–3.10

1.77

0.86–3.65

 Tigray

1.27

0.73–2.20

1.17

0.61–2.25

High Malaria transmission zone (reference- no/low)

0.84

0.57–1.26

0.85

0.46–1.55

Age in years

 15–24 (reference)

1.00

N/A

1.00

N/A

 25–34

0.79

0.48–1.32

0.64

0.36–1.15

 35–49

0.53

0.31–0.91

0.49

0.26—0.95

Primary education or more (reference- none)

1.87

1.27–2.73

1.71

1.07–2.72

Non-Christian (reference-Christian)

1.34

0.90–1.97

0.93

0.53–1.65

Married (reference- Not married)

0.67

0.32–1.39

0.60

0.27–1.33

Wealth index

 Poorest (reference)

1.00

N/A

1.00

N/A

 Poorer

1.23

0.65–2.33

1.29

0.65–2.57

 Middle

1.58

0.95–2.61

1.41

0.79–2.51

 Richer

2.04

1.15–3.60

2.08

1.07–4.02

 Richest

1.55

0.92–2.61

1.29

0.65–2.54

Household has adequate bed nets (reference- no)

1.30

0.78–2.15

1.43

0.80–2.54

Vulnerable household (reference- no)

1.50

1.00–2.25

2.01

1.28–3.18

Household owns family health guide (reference-no)

1.07

0.66–1.74

1.47

0.85–2.53

Survey timing

 Baseline (2016)

1.00

N/A

1.00

N/A

 Follow up (2019)

0.79

0.54–1.16

0.75

0.49–1.15