https://doi.org/10.4081/acbr.2021.155

Knowledge, availability and utilization of growth monitoring facilities in urban and rural health facilities in Enugu State, South East Nigeria: A survey of nursing mothers

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2021)
Submitted: 14 July 2021
Accepted: 21 August 2021
Published: 7 September 2021
Growth monitoring, health centers, Enugu, Nigeria
Abstract Views: 559
PDF: 250
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Authors

Ngozi Praise Ezeala-Adikaibe
birinusadikaibe@gmail.com
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7094-6932
Health Visiting Unit, Department of Community Medicine University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu, Enugu; Department of Public Health Education Enugu State University of Science and Technology Agbani Enugu, Enugu, Nigeria.
Joy Eze
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1708-9182
Department of Pediatrics University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu, Enugu, Nigeria.
Obumneme Benaiah Ezeanosike
Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria.
Adaeze Ayuk
Department of Pediatrics University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu, Enugu, Nigeria.
Birinus Ezeala-Adikaibe
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1185-6528
Department of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu, Nigeria.

Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) has one of the highest rates of child mortality compared to the rest of the world’s regions. The usefulness of growth monitoring cuts across all areas of pediatric care and remains the pivot for prevention of childhood diseases and prevention untoward mortality. This study therefore aimed at determining the availability of growth monitoring facilities, and knowledge and utilization of such facilities among mothers attending rural and urban health facilities in Enugu state. This was a cross sectional descriptive survey of mothers done in selected urban and rural government health facilities using the multi-stage sampling method. Data obtained were analyzed using SPSS version 21.0. Conclusions were drawn at a level of significance, p<0.05 at 95% Confidence interval. A total of 440 mothers were recruited for the study; 330 (75%) were from urban and 110 (25%) from rural locations. Mothers in urban centers exhibited higher knowledge (84%, VHL) of growth monitoring facilities than those in rural areas, p=0.04. Growth monitoring facilities were more available in urban areas compared to rural areas, p<0.01. However, growth monitoring facilities were more utilized by mothers in rural areas than in urban locations. Although GM facilities were more available in urban health centers in Enugu state. These facilities were less utilized especially in the urban areas even though mothers demonstrated were very knowledge about these facilities.

Dimensions

Altmetric

PlumX Metrics

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Citations

Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC
UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality. Report 2020 Levels & Trends in Childhood Mortality. 2020. https://www.unicef.org/reports/levels-and-trends-child-mortality-report-2020
Adimora GN, Odetunde IO. Perinatal mortality in University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu at the end of the last millennium. Niger J Clin Pract 2007;10:19-23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4314/wajr.v10i1.34197
Edelu B, Eze J, Oguonu T, Ndu U. (2014). Morbidity and mortality pattern in the children emergency unit of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu. Orient J Med 2014;20:3-4.
Mouneke UV, Ibekwe RC, Eke CB, et al. Mortality among paediatric inpatients in Mile 4 Mission hospital Abakaliki, south-eastern Nigeria: a retrospective study. Niger J Paed 2013;40:259–63.
Garner P, Pappa R, R. Loge S. Is growth monitoring effective: a systematic review of trials. Arch Dis Child 2000;82:197-201. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.82.3.197
Akanbi FOM, Anyarsor C. Growth monitoring: the key to child survival strategy in Nigeria. J Res Nurs Midwifery 2014;3:31-8.
Khadilkar VV, Khadilkar AV, Choudhury P, et al. Growth monitoring guidelines for children from birth to 18 years. Ind Pediatr 2007;4:187-97.
A health professional's guide for using the new WHO growth charts. Paediatr Child Health 2010;15:84-98. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/pch/15.2.84
Habimana P, Mwinga K, Sagoe MC, Ketsela T. Progress in implementing the child survival strategies in the African region. Afri Health Monit 2010;11:18-23.
Sanusi RA, Gbadamosi AO. Mothers’ knowledge and practice of child survival strategies. Pak J Nutri 2015;8:1506-11.
Efe SI. Health care problem and management in Nigeria. J Geogr Reg Plan 2013;6:244-54. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5897/JGRP2013.0366
Lavangare SR, Ravichandran P. Knowledge and practice of growth chart among mothers attending Well-Baby Clinic at Urban Health Training Centre, Mumbai, Maharashtra. Ann Comm Health 2020;8:1-5.
Bukari M, Abubakari MM, Majeed M, et al. Effect of maternal growth monitoring knowledge on stunting, wasting and underweight among children 0–18 months in Tamale metropolis of Ghana. BMC Res Notes 2020;13:45. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-020-4910-z
Ruger JP, Kim HJ. Global health inequalities: an international comparison. J Epidemiol Community Health 2006;60:928-36. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.2005.041954
Akanbi FOM, Anyarsor C. Growth monitoring the key to child survival strategies in Nigeria. J Res Nur Midwif 2014;3:31-8.
United Nations Children’s Fund. The State of the World’s Children 2012. New York. UNICEF 2012.
Enugu State Government. District Health Law of Enugu State. Enugu State Government 2005.
Cochran WG. Sampling Techniques, 2nd Ed., New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc: 1963.
Portney LG, Watkins MP. Foundations of clinical research. USA. Pearson International Edition: 2009.
Okafor IP, Dolapo DC, Onigbogi MO, Iloabuchi IG. Rural-urban disparities in maternal immunization knowledge and childhood health-seeking behavior in Nigeria: a mixed method study. Afr Health Sci 2014;14:339-47. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v14i2.8
Melkamu AW, Bitew BD, Muhammad EA, Hunegnaw MT. Prevalence of growth monitoring practice and its associated factors at public health facilities of North Gondar zone, northwest Ethiopia: an institution-based mixed study. BMC Ped 2019;19:144 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-019-1489-4
Debuo DT, Appiah PK, Kweku M, et al. Caregivers knowledge, attitude and practices on child growth monitoring and promotion activities in Lawra District, upper west region of Ghana. Sci J Pub Health 2017;5:20-30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20170501.13
Bilal SM, Moser A, Blanco R, et al. Practices and challenges of growth monitoring and promotion in Ethiopia. J Health Popul Nutr 2014;32:441-51.
Al-Hilfy TKY, Essa A. Mothers’ knowledge and attitude regarding childhood survival. Mid E J Fam Med 2007;5:127-9.
Nwala E, Ebunoha, G, Ugwu, C. Mothers knowledge of available child health services in Ezeagu, Enugu. Bmc Health Serv Res 2013;2:7.
Yidana A, Ziem JB, Seidu F, Mogre V. Utilization of growth monitoring and promotion is highest among children aged 0–11 months: a survey among mother-child pairs from rural northern Ghana. BMC Public Health 2021;21:910 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10980-w
Daniel B, Tesfaye N, Mekonin E, et al. Knowledge and attitude on growth monitoring and its associated factors among mothers/guardians of children less than two years in Areka Town, Southern Ethiopia. J Nutr Disorders Ther 2017;7:216. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4172/2161-0509.1000216
Edet YV, Effiong JH, Udoh IA, et al. Knowledge and practice of child survival strategies among mothers attending postnatal clinic in Itu, a sub-urban area of South Nigeria. Int J Health Sci Res 2020;10:1-8.
Etokidem AJ, Johnson O. Child survival strategies: assessment of knowledge and practice of rural women of reproductive age in cross River State, Nigeria J Trop Med 2016;5098463. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/5098463

How to Cite

Ezeala-Adikaibe, N. P. ., Eze, J. ., Ezeanosike, O. B., Ayuk, A., & Ezeala-Adikaibe, B. (2021). Knowledge, availability and utilization of growth monitoring facilities in urban and rural health facilities in Enugu State, South East Nigeria: A survey of nursing mothers. Annals of Clinical and Biomedical Research, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.4081/acbr.2021.155

PAGEPress has chosen to apply the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) to all manuscripts to be published.