GROWTH MONITORING AND PROMOTION PRACTICE AT PRIMARY HEALTH CARE GAGI AND MABERA GIDAN DAHALA, SOKOTO

Abstract

Child malnutrition remains a major public health problem in Nigeria, particularly in the northern region. Growth Monitoring and Promotion (GMP) is a preventive strategy aimed at early detection of growth faltering and improvement of child feeding and care practices through regular anthropometric assessment and counselling. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Growth Monitoring and Promotion among health workers and caregivers, and to identify factors affecting its implementation in selected Primary Health Care facilities in Sokoto State. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was adopted involving 216 respondents, comprising 21 health workers and 189 caregivers selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using validated structured questionnaires administered in English and Hausa languages. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20. The result indicate that 69.4% of health workers in Gidan Dahala Mabera, 65.3% in Gagi Basic Health Clinic, and 61.2% in Mabera Mujaya had moderate knowledge of GMP. Positive attitudes toward GMP were observed in Mabera Gidan Dahala (34.3%) and Mabera Mujaya (45.7%), while Gagi Basic Health Clinic recorded 37.1%. Regular child weighing was highest in Gidan Dahala Mabera (57.4%), followed by Gagi Basic Health Clinic (43.0%) and Mabera Mujaya (28.6%). None of the facilities consistently practiced growth chart plotting or caregiver counselling (0.0%). Major challenges affecting GMP implementation included inadequate training, insufficient human resources, and lack of materials. Caregiver routine clinic attendance was highest in Gagi Basic Health Clinic (90.5%). Children aged 0–5 years in Mabera Gidan Dahala had the best nutritional status (71.4%). In conclusion, despite adequate knowledge of GMP among health workers, poor implementation persists due to systemic and resource-related constraints. Strengthening training, supervision, and provision of GMP tools is essential for improving child nutrition outcomes in Sokoto State.