The study was a descriptive quantitative survey which endeavoured to identify challenges experienced by IMCI trained registered nurses in implementing the guidelines and procedures of the strategy when tending children under 5 years in Gaborone health district. The study also solicited for recommendations on how to address the identified challenges. The research population comprised of all the IMCI-1 trained registered nurses and systematic sampling was employed to randomly select study participants. Data were collected using a questionnaire and was analysed using Excel Advanced software package. Study findings identified challenges related to political support, cost of IMCI training, training coverage, health systems and features of the IMCI strategy. Recommendations for improving use of the strategy included garnering for more political support, adopting short duration training courses, scaling up both pre-service and in-service training as well as addressing the challenges related to health systems and the unique features of the strategy / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

The study was a descriptive quantitative survey which endeavoured to identify challenges experienced by IMCI trained registered nurses in implementing the guidelines and procedures of the strategy when tending children under 5 years in Gaborone health district. The study also solicited for recommendations on how to address the identified challenges. The research population comprised of all the IMCI-1 trained registered nurses and systematic sampling was employed to randomly select study participants. Data were collected using a questionnaire and was analysed using Excel Advanced software package. Study findings identified challenges related to political support, cost of IMCI training, training coverage, health systems and features of the IMCI strategy. Recommendations for improving use of the strategy included garnering for more political support, adopting short duration training courses, scaling up both pre-service and in-service training as well as addressing the challenges related to health systems and the unique features of the strategy / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

The purpose of this study was to identify and determine the risk factors for malnutrition among children under the age of 5 years in Kweneng West District of Botswana. A case control study was conducted. The cases consisted of 37 underweight children under the age of 5 (n=37), and the controls consisted of 76 children less than 5 years of age (n=76) recruited concurrently among the under-five children attending Letlhakeng Child Welfare Clinic on a monthly basis. The controls were of good nutritional status. Data collection was done using a combination of a review of records (child welfare clinic registers, and child welfare clinic cards) and structured questionnaires. Following placement of the data in regression models, the factors that were found to be significantly associated with child malnutrition were small number of daily meals taken by the child (Adjusted OR=19.04, 95% CI 3.24-112.13), lack of knowledge of methods of prevention of child malnutrition by the parent (Adjusted OR=4.71, 95% CI 1.41-15.82), parent’s unemployment (Adjusted OR=50.3, 95% CI 4.86-52.1), low birth weight (Adjusted OR=12.34, 95% CI 2.76-55.02), inadequate Vitamin A supplementation (Adjusted OR=13.27, 95% CI 1.94-90.46), child illness (OR=20.95, 95% CI 7.55-58.10), and child raised by a guardian (Adjusted OR=5.67, 95% CI 1.30-24.73). The findings from this study suggest that Socio-economic factors such as unemployment, a lack of knowledge about recommended infant and child feeding practices, the child raised by a guardian, and health-related factors such as low birth weight, inadequate Vitamin A supplementation, and child illness are predictors of malnutrition in under five. Therefore, increasing household food security and reinforcing educational interventions could contribute to a reduction in the prevalence of child malnutrition in the district / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

The purpose of this study was to identify and determine the risk factors for malnutrition among children under the age of 5 years in Kweneng West District of Botswana. A case control study was conducted. The cases consisted of 37 underweight children under the age of 5 (n=37), and the controls consisted of 76 children less than 5 years of age (n=76) recruited concurrently among the under-five children attending Letlhakeng Child Welfare Clinic on a monthly basis. The controls were of good nutritional status. Data collection was done using a combination of a review of records (child welfare clinic registers, and child welfare clinic cards) and structured questionnaires. Following placement of the data in regression models, the factors that were found to be significantly associated with child malnutrition were small number of daily meals taken by the child (Adjusted OR=19.04, 95% CI 3.24-112.13), lack of knowledge of methods of prevention of child malnutrition by the parent (Adjusted OR=4.71, 95% CI 1.41-15.82), parent’s unemployment (Adjusted OR=50.3, 95% CI 4.86-52.1), low birth weight (Adjusted OR=12.34, 95% CI 2.76-55.02), inadequate Vitamin A supplementation (Adjusted OR=13.27, 95% CI 1.94-90.46), child illness (OR=20.95, 95% CI 7.55-58.10), and child raised by a guardian (Adjusted OR=5.67, 95% CI 1.30-24.73). The findings from this study suggest that Socio-economic factors such as unemployment, a lack of knowledge about recommended infant and child feeding practices, the child raised by a guardian, and health-related factors such as low birth weight, inadequate Vitamin A supplementation, and child illness are predictors of malnutrition in under five. Therefore, increasing household food security and reinforcing educational interventions could contribute to a reduction in the prevalence of child malnutrition in the district / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

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