Child Care Practices and Associated Factors among Women of Childbearing Age Attending Health Facilities in Dekina, North-Central, Nigeria

Abstract

Child care practices have contributed immensely to decreased child mortality especially in developing nations. Investigation of child care practices and associated factors among women is necessary to provide insight into extent of adoption of maternal, newborn and child health strategies and suggest enhancement strategies where possible. This examines child care practices and associated factors among women in Dekina LGA, Kogi State. Cross-sectional survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised 971 women of childbearing age accessing health services at health facilities in Dekina LGA, Kogi State, North-Central Nigeria. A sample of 384 women of child bearing age was selected through multi-stage sampling procedure. Well-completed 299 copies of the researcher-designed Women’s Child Care Practices and Associated Factors Questionnaire (WCCPAFQ), which comprised sections A, B and C was used for data collection. The reliability co-efficient of the instrument was determined using Split-half method and Spearman-Brown Correction Formula. The reliability co-efficient of the instrument was 0.65. Frequency and percentage, Spearman’s p ( rho) rank Correlation Coefficients and logistic regressions were employed for data analyses. A logistic regression was run to investigate the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. Results showed that women moderately practised (57.5%), 51.9% of women perceived that the outlined factors affected child care practices while there was low relationship between outlined factors and child care practices among women (maternal age r = 0.11, p < 0.05; maternal education r = 0.10, p < 0.05). Independent variables of age [OR = 1.65, 95% (C. I: 0.56 - 4.88)] and maternal education [OR = 2.45, 95% (C. I: 1.01 - 5.94)] had significant influence on child health care practices. It was recommended that government; private organizations, Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) and other stakeholders in the health sector should implement holistic programmes that will enhance women’s capacity to effectively and efficiently adopt integrated maternal, newborn child health survival strategies for quality child care practices. The general public should also be enlightened via health education programmes on the associated health risks of poor child care practices prevalent in many rural communities.