Awareness Regarding Growth Monitoring Among Mothers Attending a Health Post in Kathmandu

Abstract

Malnutrition among children in developing countries is a major public health concern.  Growth monitoring of under five children has been one of the major strategies for the prevention and control of malnutrition. Growth monitoring is an activity that focuses on systematic measuring of a child's weight, height according to age over a period of time,  recording, plotting and interpretation as normal and abnormal in comparisons with  WHO growth Z-scores to promote growth of children.  

A descriptive cross-sectional research design was used to find out the awareness regarding growth monitoring among mothers attending health posts with under five children. 

The study was conducted in Health Post, situated in Mahangkal, Kathmandu from  October 2016 to December 2016. One hundred eleven mothers having 6 to 36 months old child attending in the health post with their child were selected by using a non-probability purposive sampling method. Data was collected through face-to-face interview by using a structured questionnaire. Data was analyzed by using descriptive statistics. 

This study finding revealed that the majority of respondents (85.5%) were aware regarding the meaning of growth monitoring. However, fewer number respondents  were aware on time interval of growth monitoring according to age of child. More than  two third of the respondents had good awareness regarding growth chart including its  purpose and components. The main source of information regarding growth monitoring  was health personnel’s. So, it could be recommended that health personnel should provide  education and information covering all the aspects of growth monitoring to mothers attending  health care facilities.