Early childhood development scores among 24-59 months children attending RCH clinics in Temeke municipal Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| dc.contributor.author | Mshimba, Mufida A. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-01-24T07:55:09Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-01-24T07:55:09Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024 | |
| dc.description | A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Medicine in Paediatrics and child health. | |
| dc.description.abstract | Background: Early childhood development is an important public health problem in Child Health in low- and middle-income countries with approximately 43% of children living in these countries at risk of developmental delay. In Tanzania, at the district level, early childhood development status in children between 24 -59 months is unknown. Objective: The broad objective of this study was to determine the early childhood development scores among children aged 24-59 months attending Reproductive and Child Health clinics in Temeke Municipal, Dar-es-Salaam Region Tanzania. Methodology: For three months, from November 2023 to January 2024, children aged 24 to 59 months who attended Reproductive and Child Health clinics in Temeke Municipal, Dar es Salaam Region, participated in the study using a facility based analytical cross-sectional study design. Four hundred and twenty-two children from four health facilities were enrolled. ECD scores among participants were determined using the UNICEF tool (ECDI2030). Data were analyzed using IBM Corp.'s SPSS version 20.0, New York, USA. Frequency and percentages were used to express the magnitude of children on track for early childhood development. Binary logistic regression was employed to evaluate the factors linked with poor Early Childhood Development (ECD). A p-value of 0.05 or less was considered to be statistically significant. Results: A total of 422 children enrolled into the study were in the final data analysis. Among these only 144 (34.1%) were on track based on their early development scores. The child's early age (AOR 0.149 (0.63-0.354 and p-value = 0.001), malnutrition (AOR 7.729 (2.234-26.735 and p-value = 0.010), and the parents' occupation (AOR 3.730 (1.937-7.184 and p-value = 0.001) were factors linked to sub-optimal performance of ECD using ECDI2030. Conclusions: Most of the study participants were off-track in their ECD scores, which potentially might be a barrier to their full development. Young age, malnutrition, and unemployment among parents were significant factors associated with ECD delays. Recommendations: 1. Parents should ensure a responsive relationship with their young children by spending time with them, engaging in face-to-face interactions, and having positive physical contact which helps in bonding and attachment. Provide access to simple toys, and household items that encourage exploration and learning. Promote regular talking, reading, and singing to infants and toddlers. It helps to build vocabulary and communication skills. 2. Appropriate feeding of every child including promotion of breastfeeding exclusively during the first 6 months of life should be emphasized as breastmilk provides nutrients needed to strengthen immunity. Supplementation of micronutrients and macronutrients during complementary feeding and fortified food provides essential nutrients. These interventions may improve the nutrition status of young children with subsequent improvement in ECD. 3. Unemployed parents should engage in support groups or community programs that provide support and resources. Parents who receive vocational training gain skills that improve the family's financial status. | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Mshimba, M.A., 2024. Early childhood development scores among 24-59 months children attending RCH clinics in Temeke municipal Dar es salaam, Tanzania. Kairuki University | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://kuir.ku.ac.tz:4000/handle/123456789/1463 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Kairuki University | |
| dc.subject | Early Childhood | |
| dc.subject | Health health | |
| dc.subject | MEDICINE::Surgery::Obstetrics and women's diseases::Reproductive health | |
| dc.title | Early childhood development scores among 24-59 months children attending RCH clinics in Temeke municipal Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | |
| dc.type | Thesis |