Vitamin A Supplementation Uptake by Mothers and Caregivers of Children Under-Five in Mutare Rural District, Zimbabwe, 2020

Abstract

Micronutrient deficiencies are a problem of public health significance globally and they contribute significantly to stunting, poor health outcomes and impaired development. One of the most prevalent micronutrient deficiencies affecting children in developing countries is Vitamin A deficiency. Preventive vitamin A supplementation is provided twice yearly to children below 5 years of age as part of a package of child survival services in Zimbabwe. Despite vitamin A supplementation having been decentralized to village health workers Mutare rural district has not managed to reach the recommended 85% coverage as guided by World Health Organisation for the 12-59 months age group. Vitamin A supplementation in Mutare rural was at 31% between June and December 2020. This study sought to establish factors influencing low Vitamin A supplementation uptake among children 12-59 months in Mutare rural district. A 1:2 unmatched case control study was carried out in Mutare rural. The source population for this study where mothers and caregivers of children 12-59 months resident in Mutare rural district. A sample size of 264 participants was calculated using Epi info 7.2.4.0. Participants were identified from the village health worker Zimbabwe expanded program in immunization register for cases and controls were randomly picked from the same village as cases. Data was collected using an interviewer administered structured questionnaire. Epi info version 7.2.4.0 was used for data analysis. The results of this study showed that the mean age for cases was 28 while the mean age for the controls was 29 the combined mean age was 28years. Most of the primary respondents in this study were older than 30 years in both cases and controls with thirty-eight (43%) of the cases being older than 30 years and eighty-seven (49%) of the controls being older than 30 years. The age group 15-19 had the least number of respondents with seventeen (19%) and eighteen (10%) for cases and controls respectively. The majority of the caregivers were married for both cases and controls with seventy-five (85%) of the cases being married and one hundred and fifty-five (88%) of the controls being married. A multivariate analysis showed age of child in months [AOR = 1.9, 95% CI (1.17 – 5.33)], knowledge on how often vitamin A supplementation should be given to a child [AOR = 18.77, 95% CI (5.13 – 21.21)], perception on the importance of vitamin A supplementation [AOR = 11.8, 95% CI (1.03 – 13.41)], religion [AOR = 2.55, 95% CI (2.01 –5.32)] and wealth index [AOR = 16.06, 95% CI (5.71 – 22.56)] were statistically significant predictors of uptake of vitamin A supplementation. Ministry of health and Child Care needs to share awareness messages on the importance of Vitamin A targeting the apostolic religion church leadership to review their religious doctrines to support child health as well as having village health worker conducting door to door visits to give vitamin A supplementation at the household level.