Exploring parental knowledge, care-seeking, and support strategies for neonatal illness: an integrative review of the African Great Lakes region.

IF 2.2 3区医学 Q2 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH Global Health Action Pub Date : 2025-12-01 Epub Date: 2025-02-03 DOI:10.1080/16549716.2025.2450137

Sarah Farrell, Tracey A Mills, Dame Tina Lavender

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: Sub-Saharan Africa shoulders much of the global burden of neonatal mortality. Quality postnatal care is often lacking due to availability, accessibility, mistrust of health systems, and socio-economic barriers, yet delays in care-seeking contribute to avoidable neonatal deaths. Research highlights the urgent need for improved health education about neonatal illness; however, contextual factors are rarely considered, and few interventions have been implemented.

Objectives: To critically examine the literature on parents' knowledge of neonatal illness and care-seeking behaviour and evaluate interventions supporting parental understanding in sub-Saharan African Great Lakes countries.

Methods: Systematic searches were conducted in CINAHL, MEDLINE, Global Health, the Cochrane Library, and thesis repositories. Studies meeting inclusion criteria were critically analysed using Whittemore and Knafl's framework, and quality was assessed with Hawker et al.'s tool, following PRISMA guidelines.

Results: Seventy studies (48 quantitative, 14 qualitative, eight mixed methods) were reviewed. The first theme, "poor knowledge of neonatal illness", showed parents struggled to recognise illness, with knowledge affected by maternity and socio-economic factors. The second theme, "sub-optimal healthcare-seeking behaviour", highlighted delayed care-seeking due to cultural, social, and economic factors. Finally, "strategies to support parents' understanding" emphasised the roles of community workers, health education phone calls, SMS, and videos, and neonatal monitoring systems.

Conclusions: Parental knowledge of neonatal illness is generally low, and care-seeking is influenced by beliefs, trust in healthcare, and logistical challenges. While community health workers and multi-media interventions appear effective, health education efforts must address contextual barriers and beliefs to improve recognition and care-seeking for neonatal illness.

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来源期刊

Global Health Action PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH-

CiteScore

5.10

自引率

3.80%

发文量

108

审稿时长

16 weeks

期刊介绍： Global Health Action is an international peer-reviewed Open Access journal affiliated with the Unit of Epidemiology and Global Health, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine at Umeå University, Sweden. The Unit hosts the Umeå International School of Public Health and the Umeå Centre for Global Health Research. Vision: Our vision is to be a leading journal in the global health field, narrowing health information gaps and contributing to the implementation of policies and actions that lead to improved global health. Aim: The widening gap between the winners and losers of globalisation presents major public health challenges. To meet these challenges, it is crucial to generate new knowledge and evidence in the field and in settings where the evidence is lacking, as well as to bridge the gaps between existing knowledge and implementation of relevant findings. Thus, the aim of Global Health Action is to contribute to fuelling a more concrete, hands-on approach to addressing global health challenges. Manuscripts suggesting strategies for practical interventions and research implementations where none already exist are specifically welcomed. Further, the journal encourages articles from low- and middle-income countries, while also welcoming articles originated from South-South and South-North collaborations. All articles are expected to address a global agenda and include a strong implementation or policy component.