Abstract:
Background: Sunlight exposure practice for infants is noble sources of vitamin D and help to prevent rickets and improve suffer from vitamin D deficiency related problems. Vitamin D is essential for the growth of healthy bones. The implementation of the strategy has remained inconsistent and health messages lacked focus on factors that influence maternal practice excluding infants from getting adequate sunlight exposure.
Objectives: To assess Infant sunlight exposure practice and associated factors among lactating mothers in Ambo town, west Shewa, Ethiopia, 2023.
Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted in Ambo Town from March 10 to April 10/2023, among 554 Lactating mothers who were selected by systematic random sampling techniques. Data were collected by using structured questionnaire interview of lactating mothers. The collected data was entered into Epi-data version 4.6 and exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Descriptive statistics was used to show the prevalence of infant sunlight exposure practice. A bi-variable and multi-variable binary logistic regression analysis was computed to identify factors associated with outcome variable. Adjusted odds ratio with 95% CI at p-value <0.05 was used to declare statistically significant variables in the multi-variable analysis. The findings were presented by tables and figures.
Result: From total of 554 lactating mother 539 (97.3%) of mother participated in the study. The Prevalence of adequate sunlight exposure was found to be 59% (95% CI 54.7%-62.9%). Factors; maternal age 21-26 year (AOR=2.6,95%CI=1.3-5.0), family size 4-6(AOR=2.2, 95%CI 1.3-4.1),family size >6 (AOR=1.8, 95%CI 1.1-2.3), secondary education (AOR=2.3, 95%CI=1.3-4.1), diploma and above (AOR=2.4, 95%CI =1.3- 4.1), Antenatal care (AOR= 2.6, 95%CI 1.5-4.6),Postnatal care (AOR=3.7, 95%CI 2.4-5.7), mothers attitude AOR=1.6,95%CI 1.1-2.5) had significant association with mothers’ practice of Adequate sunlight exposure.
Conclusion: The finding of this study revealed that, the prevalence of infant’s sunlight exposure practice was found to be low compared to World Health Organization which needs intervention. Maternal age, family size, Mothers Educational , Husbands education, Antenatal care follows up and Postnatal care ,Attitude were factors positively affect infant’s sunlight exposure practice. Therefore, the Ambo town health office, Health extension workers and all concerned body should give due attention to work on mother’s practice of sunlight exposure and factors affect it accordingly to tackle the problems
