Utilisation of Growth Monitoring and Promotion is Highest Among Children Aged 0-11 Months: A Survey Among Mother-Child Pairs From Rural Ghana

Background: More than half of all deaths in under 5 children is related to malnutrition. One of the ways to reduce child malnutrition is regular monitoring of the growth and development of children through the utilisation of growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) services by mothers/care givers. We evaluated mothers’ knowledge on GMP, utilisation and associated factors among mother-child pairs from a poor socio-economic district in Northern Ghana. Methods: : Using an analytical cross-sectional design, participants included mothers with children aged 0-59 months, grouped into 0-11 months, 12-24 months and 24-59 months. A semi-structured questionnaire containing both closed- and open-ended questions was used to collect data. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify determinants of GMP utilisation. Results: : Four hundred mother-child pairs were included in the study. Overall, 28.5% (n=114) of the mothers utilized GMP services. Almost 60%(n=237) of the mothers knew the recommended age to seek for GMP service for their children. Only 9% of the mothers could correctly interpret the directions of the growth curves in their children’s Health Record booklet. Mothers with children aged 0-11 years were 3.9 times more likely (p=0.009) to utilize GMP services compared to their counterparts with children aged 12-23 months and 24-59 months. Mothers who had low level of knowledge were 2.19 times (p = 0.003) more likely to utilise GMP services compared to their counterparts with high level of education. Conclusion: Utilisation of GMP services was low and particularly lower in children aged 24-59 months. Mothers’ knowledge in GMP was optimal although there were notable gaps.