Growth Monitoring and Promotion Service Utilization and Associated Factors among Under 2 Year Children in Decha District, Southwest Ethiopia 2023.

Purpose: Growth Monitoring and Promotion (GMP) services is the preventive and promotive activity that uses growth monitoring, measuring, and interpreting growth, to facilitate communication and interaction with the caregiver to promote child growth. This study aimed to assess GMP service utilization and associated factor among children less than two years in Decha district, Southwest Ethiopia 2023. Methodology: We conducted Community-based crosssectional study design to assess GMP service utilization and associated factor among children less than two years in Decha district, Southwest Ethiopia. The multistage sampling technique was employed for the study. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine the presence of statistically significant association GMP service utilization and independent variable at p_value <0.5 and adjusted odd ratio (AOR) value with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: This study revealed that 47% [95% CI, 42.74%, 51.26%] of the children utilized GMP services. Availability of growth monitoring service in the nearest health facility [AOR 5.829; 95% CI, 2.588-13.129], Mother or caregivers who visited antenatal care service [AOR 6.449; 95% CI, 2.078-20.019], mother or care givers who delivered in Health facility [AOR 3.417 95% CI; 1.162-10.053], favorable mother or caregivers attitude toward GMPservice [AOR 2.438 95% CI; 1.400-4.247] and mother or caregivers who have good knowledge toward GMP service [AOR 3.015; 95%CI, 1.729-5.259] were significantly associated with utilization of GMP services. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: We found that over all GMP services utilization was low in the study are a compared with NN target (80%). Utilization of GMP services was signicantly associated with availability of growth monitoring service, antenatal care service, place of delivery, Caregivers attitude and knowledge toward GMP service. designing intervention; Increasing caregivers knowledge and increasing antenatal care coverage and facility delivery and availing services routinely in all health facilities is needed to improve utilization of GMP service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]