Exploring knowledge on danger signs of common childhood illnesses and associated factors among mothers of under-five children in Central Tigrai, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Senait Gebreslasie; Guesh Welu; Betiel Berhane; Birhanu Gebresilassie; Berhane Fseha; Tesfay Tsegay; Hadush Negash

doi:10.18683/germs.2019.1175

Exploring knowledge on danger signs of common childhood illnesses and associated factors among mothers of under-five children in Central Tigrai, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Germs. 2020 Mar 2;10(1):9-17. doi: 10.18683/germs.2019.1175. eCollection 2020 Mar.

Authors

Senait Gebreslasie¹, Guesh Welu¹, Betiel Berhane¹, Birhanu Gebresilassie¹, Berhane Fseha², Tesfay Tsegay³, Hadush Negash⁴

Affiliations

¹ MSc, Department of Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Science, Adigrat University, Adigrat, Ethiopia, P.O Box 50.
² MSc, Department of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Science, Adigrat University, Adigrat, Ethiopia, P.O Box 50.
³ MSc, Department of Nursing, College of Medicine and Health Science, Adigrat University, Adigrat, Ethiopia, P.O Box 50.
⁴ MSc, Department of Laboratory, College of Medicine and Health Science, Adigrat University, Adigrat, Ethiopia, P.O Box 50.

Abstract

Introduction: Globally, a large number of under-five deaths have occurred from preventable and treatable common childhood illnesses. Therefore, early identification of general danger signs of common childhood illnesses and adhering to appropriate treatment helps to reduce morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to assess the knowledge of mothers and associated factors on general danger signs of common childhood illnesses of under-five children in Central Tigrai, Ethiopia.

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study design was employed from February to March 2017. A total of 416 study participants were finally enrolled in the study using simple random sampling technique. A pretested and structured interviewer-based questionnaire was used. Data were entered, coded and analysed using SPSS 22.0. Multivariable logistic regression was used to control the effect of confounders.

Results: In this study, 44.7% of the mothers had good knowledge of the general danger signs of common childhood illnesses. Mothers' educational status (AOR=1.93, 95%CI=1.09-3.44, p=0.025), occupation of mothers (AOR=5.94, 95%CI=3.17-11.12, p≤0.001), childbirth order (AOR=1.85, 95%CI=1.00-3.40, p=0.005) and source of information (AOR=2.19, 95%CI=1.23-3.87, p=0.007) were significantly associated with knowledge of mothers on general danger signs of common childhood illnesses.

Conclusions: Maternal knowledge of general danger signs of common childhood illnesses was low. Therefore, intervention modalities focusing on improving the educational level, behavioural change communication activities, and access of mothers to health visits are needed.

Keywords: General danger signs; knowledge; mothers; under-five children.

GERMS.