Abstract:
Background:
Neonatal and young infant mortality has become a substantial problem in many developing
countries like Ethiopia. More specifically, neonatal mortality rates in Ethiopia are among the
highest in the world. In this regard, reducing neonatal and young infant mortality highly
relies on care -seeking behaviour of mothers for newborn and young infant illness. In
addition reduction of neonatal and infant mortality to acceptable level is impossible without
good parents /care givers knowledge. This is because of the fact that, these signs are the
entry point to provide comprehensive neonatal health care. It has been also hardly
investigated; therefore this study was intended to determine the parents/care taker care
seeking behaviour and level of knowledge about newborn and young infant illness and to
identify factors associated with them.
Objective: The main objective of this study was to assess the care seeking behaviour and
knowledge of parents/care giver for newborn and young infants and associated factors
among women who have child age less than 6 month in Tiro Afeta Woreda,Jimma Zone,
South West Ethiopia .
Methodology: A community based cross -sectional study was conducted using systematic
random sampling technique to get 422 samples of women who have infants age less than 6
months in Tiro Afeta Woreda, Jimma Zone from May 10 - June 10, 2016.face-to-face
interviews were conducted by using structured questioners and focus group discussion were
also conducted .Data was cleaned, coded and entered into Epi data 3.1 and then exported
and analysed using SPSS 20.0. Bivariable and multivariable analysis was used to identify
factors related to care seeking behaviour and knowledge of parents/care givers on newborn
and young infant illness. Finally P-value < 0.05 was considered to declare a result as
statistically significant in this study and results presented with tables and graph. Moreover
the focus group discussions was analysed qualitatively and presented using narrative
approach.
Findings
In this study care seeking behaviour for new born and young infant illness is high (83%). In
addition the study found poor knowledge of newborn and young infant illness among
parents/care givers.Having antenatal care found to be associated with knowledge of newborn and young infant illness with AOR of 3.124 and 95 CI(1.533,6.367) compared to
their counterparts.
Conclusions and Recommendation
Parents/care givers knowledge level about newborn and young infant illness in study area
was found to be low, even though care seeking behaviour for new born and young infant
illness is high. So to improve knowledge of parents/care givers about newborn and young
infant illness the government, health facility and health extension worker, should intensify the
education about newborn and young infant illness.More ever mothers during antenatal
followe up and after delivery should be strongly advised about new born and young infant
illness.
