A study on knowledge regarding integrated management of neonatal and childhood illness among trained anganwadi workers of Surendranagar district, Gujarat, India

Abstract

Background: IMNCI guidelines are a simplified system of diagnosis and treatment designed for the use by health worker with limited training. The aim and objectives of the study was to study the level of awareness about the concept of IMNCI amongst trained AWWs and to assess the extent of knowledge and skills of the AWWs regarding the management after the training. Methods: A cross sectional study conducted from August 2012 to January 2013. After enlisting all talukas of Surendranagar district, 5 talukas were selected through simple random sampling. Out of total 833 AWWs of these 5 talukas 774 were interviewed at monthly taluka meeting. Results: Most of the anganwadi workers were of the age group 31 to 50 years and majority of them were educated up to secondary level (49.49%). Half of the respondents (57.37%) answered correctly about objectives of IMNCI. More than half (55.5%) of the respondents did not know the assessment criteria of diarrheal illness. Only 3.3% respondents knew that only in drawing of chest is a clinical feature of pneumonia. Nearly one third of the respondents i.e., 32.5% could be able to list out all the clinical features of malaria. Only 8.8% of the respondents could be able to identify grade 1 malnutrition. Only about 30.9% of the respondents correctly identified anemia in child using standard IMNCI guidelines. Conclusions: There are many lacunae in the knowledge of AWWs in the various perspective of IMNCI; there is need for refresher course within short time period to sustain the knowledge of AWWs for success of IMNCI program.