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ASSESSMENT OF CAREGIVERS' KNOWLEDGE, RETENTION AND UTILIZATION OF CHILD HEALTH CARDS IN OYO STATE, NIGERIA: A MIXED
A A Bakare1,2,3, O C Uchendu1,2, A A Sogbesan4
1Department of Community Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Insights
Caregiver knowledge of child health cards (CHC) was poor in Oyo State, Nigeria, though retention was high. Improving community awareness of CHC is recommended to boost utilization and ensure children receive vaccinations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Health Management
Background:
- The Child Health Card (CHC) is crucial for monitoring child development, detecting malnutrition, and tracking vaccinations.
- Limited research exists on caregiver knowledge and utilization of CHCs in Oyo State, Nigeria.
- This study addresses the knowledge, retention, and utilization of CHCs among caregivers in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess caregiver knowledge of Child Health Cards (CHCs) and their contents.
- To evaluate the retention rate of CHCs among caregivers.
- To determine the factors associated with the utilization of CHCs for child healthcare.
Main Methods:
- A community-based mixed-method study with a parallel convergent design was conducted.
- Quantitative data were gathered from 617 caregivers using interviewer-administered questionnaires.
- Qualitative data were collected through interviews with caregivers and healthcare workers.
Main Results:
- Caregiver knowledge of CHCs and growth charts was poor, but CHC retention was 69.6%.
- Higher retention was observed in younger children (<12 months) and caregivers with good CHC knowledge.
- Employment, tertiary education, good knowledge, and positive perception were linked to higher CHC utilization.
Conclusions:
- Despite high retention, CHC utilization by caregivers remains low.
- Interventions to enhance community awareness of CHCs are essential to improve their use.
- Low utilization can lead to negative consequences, such as denied vaccinations.
Background:
The "Child health card" (CHC) is integral to monitoring a child's growth and assessing development to support the early detection of malnutrition and prompt intervention. CHC is also valuable in keeping track of a child's vaccinations. There are limited studies on knowledge and utilization of CHC in Oyo state, Nigeria. We therefore aimed to assess caregiver's knowledge, retention, and utilization of child health cards in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
Methods:
A community-based mixed-method study using a parallel convergent design was employed. Quantitative data were collected from 617 caregivers at their compounds in the selected communities using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Qualitative data were collected by interviewing caregivers and healthcare workers at health facilities. Bivariate analysis of quantitative indicators and thematic analysis of qualitative interviews were conducted.
Results:
Caregiver knowledge of the CHC, including the contents of the CHC and growth charts, was poor, but retention was relatively high (69.6%). Retention of the CHC was higher among caregivers whose index child was <12 months (p=0.011) and among those with good knowledge of the CHC (p<0.001). Being employed (p=0.016), having tertiary education (p=0.027), having good knowledge (p<0.001), and good perception of the CHC (p=0.001) were positively associated with the utilization of CHC. We found that when caregivers failed to present the card at immunization clinics, they often faced verbal reprimands from healthcare workers, and in some cases, their child's vaccination was denied.
Conclusion:
CHC retention was high despite low utilization by caregivers. Therefore, interventions designed to improve community awareness of the CHC could provide an opportunity to improve the use of child health cards in this setting.
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