Infant care practice and associated factors in Southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Introduction: Appropriate infant care practices are crucial for the health and wellbeing of infants. It is the care from delivery until they are one year old, and includes clean delivery, thermal care, sanitary care, cord care, eye care, breastfeeding, immunization, and identification of newborn risk indicators. One of the important reasons for the high level of infant deaths in developing countries is poor infant care practice. Infant care practice services are not widely used in Ethiopia, especially in Mari Mansa woreda, and it is unclear what factors influence their use. This study was aimed to assess infant care practices and the factors that determine the practices among mothers who gave birth within the six months prior to the survey in Mari Mansa Woreda, Dawuro zone, Southwest Ethiopia, in 2023.

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted using a multi-stage sampling technique among 522 mothers who gave birth in the six months prior to the survey in Mari Mansa woreda. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with sampled mothers during 10–25 April 2023 using a structured questionnaire.  Descriptive statistics such as proportion, frequencies, and measures of central tendency were calculated and presented in tables and figures. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to explain factors associated with infant care practices among the mothers.

Results: About 44.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 40%-48%) of participants had good infant care practices based on seven composite variables. Mothers’ educational status such as being able to read and write (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 4.49; 95% CI: 1.75-11.51)], primary education (AOR: 6.52; 95% CI: 2.62-16.19), and college education and above (AOR: 14.88; 95% CI: 4.19-52.88); mothers occupation (government employees) (AOR: 3.07; 95% CI: 1.03-9.17); high household wealth index (AOR: 2.28; 95% CI: 1.27-4.08); and delivery at health facilities (AOR: 4.0, 95% CI: 1.60-10.01) were significantly associated with good infant care practice.

Conclusions: Less than half of the mothers implement good infant care practices. This implies that infant care practices are unsatisfactory in the study area. We recommend that relevant bodies working in the health sector, and community-based associations/organizations should undertake targeted interventions on women’s capacity building activities through education, economic empowerment, and improved access to health services.