# Factors Influencing Child Welfare Clinic Attendance in a Periurban Community: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

## TL;DR

This study explores why caregivers in a periurban community attend child welfare clinics, highlighting factors like nurse encouragement and education level.

## Contribution

The study identifies sociodemographic and perception-based factors influencing child welfare clinic attendance in a specific community.

## Key findings

- Caregivers with higher education levels were more likely to attend child welfare clinics.
- Positive nurse behavior and perception of clinic importance significantly influenced attendance.
- Children aged 0–11 months were more likely to have caregivers attending clinics.

## Abstract

Introduction: Child welfare clinics (CWCs) provide a platform for health practitioners to communicate with caregivers and provide growth monitoring, childhood immunization, health education, and other health promotion services. This study described factors influencing caregivers' attendance at CWC in the Godokpe Community in Ho.

Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study that used questionnaires for data collection among 403 caregivers having children under 5 years. The respondents were selected using convenience sampling techniques. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25 to generate descriptive statistics and to test associations between independent variables and CWC attendance. A p value ≤ 0.05 was statistically significant.

Results: The findings indicated that 80.4% of the caregivers had a high level of knowledge about CWC. The factors that influenced continued CWC attendance were encouragement by nurses (94.3%), the nurses being empathetic (93.8%), nurses showing a positive attitude toward caregivers (91.8%), the perception that attending CWC is an ideal childcare process (91.6%), having less waiting time (90.8%), having knowledge on child care practices (90.6%), having an appropriate timing for CWC services (90.1%), perception that there is the provision of adequate care for sick children at CWC (89.8%), perception that CWC is a needful care practice for children (82.4%), and acknowledging CWC as a requirement stated in the child welfare card (82.1%). Also, caregivers (79.0%) attended CWC sessions regularly. The adjusted odds ratio showed that caregivers without formal education (AOR = 0.10, 95% CI: 0.02–0.37, p value = 0.001), having primary education (AOR = 0.13, 95% CI: 0.04–0.37, p value < 0.001), and having secondary education (AOR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.12–0.91, p value = 0.036) predicted CWC attendance compared to those with tertiary education. Experience at CWC (AOR = 2.52, 95% CI: 1.20–5.81, p value = 0.021) and having children between 0 and 11 months (AOR = 3.16, 95% CI: 1.50–6.89, p value = 0.003) predicted CWC attendance.

Conclusion: We identified various factors (sociodemographic and knowledge/perception) influencing CWC attendance. Healthcare providers must institute interventions targeting parents having lower education status and having children older than 11 months for continued CWC attendance even after the completion of routine immunizations. This may include continued home visits to provide CWC care to children less than 5 years old.