Assessment of Knowledge, Practice and Factors Affecting Sunlight Exposure of Infants Among Mothers Attending Governmental Health Facilities In Debre Markos Town, East Gojjam, Ethiopia, 2014
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Date
2015-02
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Background- For centuries, sunlight has been used for therapeutic purposes. Parents still expose
their infants to sunlight to treat neonatal jaundice, mostly to supply vitamin D for bone
development as a consequence of health beliefs.
Objective- The main objective of this study was to assess knowledge, practice and factors
affecting sunlight exposure of infants among mothers attending governmental health facilities in
Debre Markos Town, East Gojjam, Ethiopia, 2014.
Method- Cross sectional descriptive study was conducted among mothers attending in under five
and immunization clinics of all government health facilities in Debre Markos Town by taking a
total sample size of 359 from December 1 to 30, 2014. Probability sampling method was used for
the selection of individual respondents. Data was entered using EPI data version 3.1 and analyzed
by SPSS version 16. Binary and multiple logistic regressions were done to show the association
of dependent and independent variables.
Results - Out of 359 respondents identified for the study 96% (n=345) were responded for the
interview. From the total respondents 60% and 55.4% of them had poor knowledge and poor
practice about sunlight exposure respectively. In multivariate analysis mothers’ educational status
had significant association with both knowledge and practice of sunlight exposure of infants.
Conclusion and Recommendations: The findings in this study showed mothers had poor
knowledge and poor practice about sunlight exposure. Therefore, mothers need to be educated
about the importance of sunlight exposure.
Key words= Mothers’ knowledge, Rickets, Sunlight exposure, Vitamin D, Vitamin D deficiency
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Keywords
Mothers’ knowledge, Rickets, Sunlight exposure, Vitamin D, Vitamin D deficiency