Assessment of care seeking behaviour and knoweledge of parents and associated factors for sick new born and young infants;the case of tiro afeta woreda, jimma zone south west Ethiopia

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.