Vitamin A Supplementation Among Children Attending Enugu State University Teaching Hospital Enugu: The Caregiver Perspective

Abstract

Vitamin A supplementation (VAS) is an important means of curbing Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) related childhood morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of caregivers regarding vitamin A supplementation as well as its uptake in their children. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out among caregivers of children aged 6 to 59 months attending clinics in Enugu State University Teaching Hospital Parklane, Enugu. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the subjects while the data was collected and analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) software version 23.0 (IBM, USA). Over half of mothers were aware of what vitamin A was (56.3%) (95CI= 51 – 62) and its route of administration (76.6%) (95CI = 72–81). However, only 119 (37.2%) of respondents were aware of the recommended frequency of vitamin A supplementation. Three hundred and five (95.3%) (95CI = 93-98) of the respondents were aware that vitamin A was beneficial with 196 (61.3%) being aware that Vitamin A could prevent blindness. The majority of respondents knew that there was a WHO recommendation on VAS for children, 215 (67.2%). Over half of the respondents (163, 50.9%) felt that there was not enough information on vitamin A due to poor information dissemination (120, 37.5%). Predictors of good knowledge included higher educational qualification (AOR: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.29-0.81), having good attitude (AOR: .47; 95% CI: .25-0.87), and good uptake (AOR: .42; 95% CI: .24-.71). Having good knowledge was a predictor of uptake of VAS (AOR: .41; 95% CI: .24-.70). Significant gaps and challenges still exist in the knowledge, attitude and practice of caregivers on VAS as well as its uptake by children in Enugu.