Maternal knowledge of childhood developmental milestones in Ashanti Region, Ghana.

Abstract

Introduction: the ability of parents to recognize the age at which children attain developmental milestones helps in the early identification of delays and subsequent intervention to improve outcomes. However, there is a dearth of published evidence about parents´ knowledge of children´s developmental milestones in Ghana. The objective was to determine maternal knowledge of childhood developmental milestones (CDM) among a community-based sample of mothers of children under the age of five, identify the factors associated with CDM knowledge and the sources of information.

Methods: a population-based cross-sectional study involving mothers of children less than five years resident in Akrofuom in the Ashanti Region of Ghana was selected in January 2023 using a multistage cluster sampling technique. Interviewer-based questionnaires were administered to eligible mothers. Knowledge of CDM and sources of CDM information were examined using descriptive statistics. Bivariate analysis was conducted to identify factors influencing CDM knowledge, and a multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the factors associated with overall CDM knowledge.

Results: participants had low knowledge (19.3%) of all four domains of CDM. Approximately 40% of the participants reported receiving CDM information from relatives/friends and 14% from general health practitioners. Family income (p=0.01), participant level of education (p=0.04), and age of the first child (p=0.05) were significant influencing factors of CDM knowledge.

Conclusion: the level of knowledge of mothers on CDM was low in all four domains emphasizing the need for healthcare workers and Pediatric Society Groups to increase their focus on educating parents, especially mothers, regarding knowledge of CDM.