Growth Monitoring Practice And Associated Factors Among Health Professionals For Under Five Children In Bale Zone Public Health Facilities,

Abstract

Background: Growth monitoring is one of the health priorities in assessing the growth rate of a child. Appropriate growth monitoring and promotion services enable health professionals to control growth faltering and child mortality. However, there is limited information on the growth monitoring practice of health professionals and their associated factors in Bale Zone public health facilities. Objective: This study aimed to assess growth monitoring practices and associated factors among health professionals in Bale zone public health facilities, Oromia, Southeast Ethiopia. Method: An institutional-based mixed-methods study was conducted using multistage sampling techniques from May 31 to August 10, 2023, among 513 participants. Data was collected through a pretested, structured questionnaire, an observational checklist, and indepth interviews. The collected data were cleaned, entered into Epi-data version 4.6, and exported to SPSS version 25 for further analysis, and binary logistic regression was employed. Those variables with a p-value less than 0.25 were fitted to the multivariable analysis. Factors associated were declared at an AOR of 95% CI and a p-value less than 0.05. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis. The results were presented using texts, tables & figures. Results: Five hundred eight health professionals participated, with a response rate of 99% and a mean age of 31.78. Of the total study participants, 63.4% [95% CI: 59–68%] had good growth monitoring practices. Work experience of 11 or more years [AOR = 5.26; CI: 3.14, 8.84], those who had good knowledge [AOR = 5.11; CI: 3.00, 8.71], a favorable attitude [AOR = 2.58; CI: 1.33, 5.00], those who took training [AOR = 3.98; CI: 2.47, 6.43], and growth monitoring equipment [AOR =3.52; CI: 2.19, 5.67] were significantly associated with growth monitoring practice. According to observation findings, the overall good growth monitoring practice among health workers was 47.3% [95% CI: 39–56]. Additionally, factors from qualitative findings are lack of separate growth monitoring rooms and insufficient supportive supervision.