رفتارهای بهداشتی مادران دارای کودک بستری در بیمارستان در کاشان: یک مطالعه مقطعی.

Background & Aims The role of the family in the health of the child is very vital because a major part of a child’s development. The present study investigates the health behaviors and related factors in mothers of hospitalized children in Kashan, Iran. Materials & Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on 216 mothers of children hospitalized in children’s wards of two teaching hospitals in Kashan from November 2019 to March 2021. Meanwhile, sampling was done through continuous sampling. The first author (a nurse in the children’s wards) indirectly observed the mothers’ health-related behaviors toward their children and then immediately recorded them using a checklist. Data were then analyzed in SPSS software (v. 26) using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation test, one-way ANOVA, independent t-test, and linear regression analysis. Results The mean age of mothers of hospitalized children was 29.27±5.60 years. Based on the results, the following items had the highest compliance scores: “use of fresh and safe drinking water for the child” (97.5%), “washing hands with soap and water in case of clear hand contamination” (95.6%), “Changing the child’s clothes and bedding as soon as they become contaminated with diarrhea, vomit, blood, and other contaminants” (90.7%), and “Washing hands after changing the child’s diaper” (87.3%). On the other hand, some other items, including “washing hands before changing the child’s diaper” (8%), “covering the mobile phone with a plastic to avoid contamination” (8.8%), and “washing hands with soap and water after touching the surrounding surfaces” (15.8%), had the lowest compliance scores. Conclusion The results indicated that mothers failed to comply with behaviors such as washing their children’s hands regularly and washing their own hands before breastfeeding. It is necessary to teach and inform them regarding the observation of behaviors related to the child’s health upon entering the hospital to ensure their child’s safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]