Key Decision Makers and Actors in Selected Newborn Care Practices: A Community-Based Survey in Northern Uganda

David Mukunya, Victoria Nankabirwa, Grace Ndeezi, Josephine Tumuhamye, Justin Bruno Tongun, Samuel Kizito, Agnes Napyo, Vincentina Achora, Beatrice Odongkara, Agnes Anna Arach, Thorkild Tylleskar and James K Tumwine
Additional contact information
David Mukunya: Center for International Health, University of Bergen, 7804 Bergen, Norway
Victoria Nankabirwa: Center for International Health, University of Bergen, 7804 Bergen, Norway
Grace Ndeezi: Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University, 7062 Kampala, Uganda
Josephine Tumuhamye: Center for International Health, University of Bergen, 7804 Bergen, Norway
Justin Bruno Tongun: Department of Pediatrics, University of Juba, 82 Juba, South Sudan
Samuel Kizito: Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Makerere University, 7062 Kampala, Uganda
Agnes Napyo: Department of Public Health, Busitema University, 236 Tororo, Uganda
Vincentina Achora: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Gulu, 166 Gulu, Uganda
Beatrice Odongkara: Department of Pediatrics, University of Gulu, 166 Gulu, Uganda
Agnes Anna Arach: Department of Nursing, Lira University, 1035 Lira, Uganda
Thorkild Tylleskar: Center for International Health, University of Bergen, 7804 Bergen, Norway
James K Tumwine: Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University, 7062 Kampala, Uganda

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 10, 1-14

Abstract: Knowledge of key decision makers and actors in newborn care is necessary to ensure that health interventions are targeted at the right people. This was a cross-sectional study carried out in Lira district, Northern Uganda. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with mothers being the key decision maker regarding where to give birth from and when to initiate breastfeeding. Fathers were the key decision makers on the place of birth (54.3%, n = 505) and on whether to seek care for a sick newborn child (47.7%, n = 92). Grandmothers most commonly bathed the baby immediately after birth (55.5%, n = 516), whereas mothers and health workers were common decision makers regarding breastfeeding initiation. Predictors for a mother being the key decision maker on the place of birth included: Mother having a secondary education (AOR 1.9: 95% C.I (1.0–3.6)) and mother being formally employed (AOR 2.0: 95% (1.5–2.9)). Mothers, fathers, grandmothers, health-workers, and traditional birth attendants were the most influential in the selected newborn care practices. Programs that aim to promote newborn care need to involve husbands, grandmothers, and health workers in addition to mothers.

Keywords: newborn; neonatal; implementation; influencers; actors; decision-making; Uganda; post-conflict; behavior (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/10/1723/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/10/1723/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:10:p:1723-:d:231616

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().