Child healthcare: Completion of health records in municipalities in the semi-arid region of Brazil

Abstract

Objectives: to determine the proportion of children with adequately completed health records and to investigate associations with geographical, socioeconomic and the mother and child’s biological characteristics, and with the percentage use of health services in two municipalities in the semi-arid region of Brazil. Methods: a population-based cross-sectional study was carried with children aged up to five years. Data were collected by way of a household questionnaire between July and September 2008. The presence of all records relating to identification, growth, development and vaccine status of the child was deemed to be adequate completion. The raw and adjusted prevalence ratios were calculated using the Poisson Regression, following a hierarchized model. Results: of the 342 children studied, 22.2% (CI95% 17.5 – 26.2) had adequately completed health records. A high level of education of the mother was associated with this, after adjusting for the effect of variables in the hierarchized model. Conclusions: the results show a low level of adequate completion of health records. The high prevalence of inadequately completed records in mothers with low levels of education may reflect inequalities in the local health system. Children have a right to adequate completion of health records and failure to do so suggests lack of training of health workers and parents in basic health care needs.