| dc.description.abstract | Improving the wellbeing of children through uptake of child health services is an important public
health goal for Kenya. It determines the health of the next generation and can predict future public
health challenges for families and communities. Evidence exists that maternal factors influence child
health services uptake, but how the specific maternal factors influence child health services uptake is
not known in Nyando where under-five mortality is still high at 73 per 1000 live births compared to
the national level which is 52. Utilization of child health services is critical in the realization of the
public health goals. The purpose of the study was to establish maternal demographic, economic and
health factors influencing child health service uptake in Nyando Sub-County. It adopted a crosssectional
study design. Yamane’s formula (1967) was used to calculate the sample size.
Proportionate systematic random sampling was used to obtain the sample size (n=419). A sample
interval of 7 was used to identify women in households who had children under the age of five.
Logistic regression was used to assess maternal factors influencing child health service uptake.
Bivariate analysis showed the association between the variables. Women with less than five children
had 0.61 times likelihood of their children being immunized (OR: 0.61; CI: 0.41 – 0.91, p= 0.015,)
and 0.83 likelihood of receiving Vit A supplements (OR: 0.83; CI: 0.72 – 0.96, p=0.011,) compared
to children of women with five or more children. Mothers with above primary education had 0.69
likelihood of exclusively breast feeding (OR: 1.69; CI: 0.53 – 0.90, p= 0.007) compared to
mothers with primary and below. Unemployed mothers were 2.00 times likely to exclusively breast
feed (OR: 2.00; CI: 1.18 – 3.37, p=0.010). Mothers who attended antenatal clinics were 0.32 times
likely to immunize their children (OR: 0.323; CI: 0.117-0.0895, p= 0.030,) and 0.31 times likely to
exclusively breast feed (OR: 0.306; CI: 0.188-0.498, p=<0.001). Children delivered in health
facilities were 1.53 likely to be immunized (OR: 1.52; CI: 1.05-2.21, p=0.026), 1.41 likely to be
exclusively breast fed (OR 1.43; .2.43-1.65, p= <0.001) and 1.61 times likely to get Vitamin A
supplements (OR: 1.161; CI: 1.025-1.315, p=0.019). Children of mothers who went to postnatal
clinics had 10.30 likelihood of being immunized (OR: 10.30; CI: 3.60-29.45, p=<0.001) and 4.34
likelihood of being exclusively breastfed (OR: 4.34; CI: 2.51-7.52, p=<0.001) compared to children
whose mothers did not attend postnatal clinics. It is hoped that these results will provide information
useful to reduce morbidity and mortality in children under the age of five in Nyando sub-County,
Kisumu County, Kenya. | en_US |
