Implementation of Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illness Guidelines and Associated Factors among Health Professionals at Public Health Facilities in Guji Zone, Oromia Region Southern Ethiopia, 2023

Abstract

Introduction: Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illness strategy is a management of the most common childhood conditions, with a focus on the most important causes of death. Nevertheless, there is limited information and evidence on its implementation status and operational constraints which has limited the development of intervention strategies in line with child mortality rate reduction. Objective: To assess health professionals’ Utilization of the integrated management of neonatal and childhood illness guidelines and associated factors at public health facilities in Guji Zone, Oromia Region Southern Ethiopia, 2023. Methods: Across sectional study was conducted among 284 randomly selected health professionals at Guji Zone. Data were collected using Self-administered questionnaire. The collected data were cleaned, coded and entered into epi-data and exported to SPSS version 21 for data analysis. Descriptive statistics was used to describe the study population in relation to socio-demographic and other relevant variables. Binary logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with implementation of IMNCI. In the variable model, covariates with p values ≤ 0.25 were selected to be included in the multivariable model. The Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with a 95 % Confidence Interval (CI) and p-value of ≤ 0.05was computed to show the strength of the association. The model fitness was checked using Hosmer Reshow model with the P-value of >0.05. Results: Data were obtained from 286 health care professionals working in four districts, with a response rate of 100%. The high-level implementation of IMNCI among health professionals in selected districts of Guji Zone was 75.2%. Receiving IMNCI training (AOR: 1.8(1.06-15.16) and Received IMNCI follow up training (AOR: 8(3.0-11.9) were independent determinants of implementation of IMNCI. Conclusion: A variety of factors can determine utilization of IMNCI. Of these, level of qualification and IMNCI training. Improving health professionals’ level of qualification and providing adequate IMNCI training would improve IMNCI utilization.