Knowledge and factors related to early disability detection among caregivers of children under 3 years old in Nam Thang commune, Tien Hai district, Thai Binh province, in 2015

Abstract

     According to WHO, early detection and early intervention measures can prevent approximately 70% of the childhood disability caused by vaccine preventable disease, malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies… The earlier a disability is detected in a child, the more effective the intervention and the less severe the disability. Parents and caregivers who play an important role in detecting disability need to have a good knowledge of detecting disability to identify children with development delays and/or disabilities. Currently, only a limited number of researches on caregivers’ knowledge can be found. The purpose of our cross-sectional study with 209 caregivers of children under 3 years old in Nam Thang commune, Tien Hai district, Thai Binh province is to find out their knowledge and some related factors. The results show that 17,7% caregivers have good knowledge of early detection of disabilities. This study also found a relationship between knowledge of early detection with accessing information resources of caregivers. The study suggests that it is needed to have a comprehensive education and communication program for improving knowledge on early detection among caregivers.