Ganfure Gemechu, Darega Jiregna, Kitila Latera Debebe
Department of Pediatrics and Child Health Nursing, Ambo University College of Medicine and Health Science, Ambo, Ethiopia.
Department of Public Health, Ambo University College of Medicine and Health Science, Ambo, Ethiopia.
Front Public Health. 2025 Mar 12;13:1527675. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1527675. eCollection 2025.
Male involvement in child care is increasingly acknowledged as a crucial factor for promoting positive health and developmental outcomes for children, particularly during the critical early years of life. In Ethiopia, low male participation in child-rearing exacerbates public health issues, including high neonatal and under-five mortality rates. This study examines the prevalence and factors associated with paternal involvement in child care among fathers of children under 2 years in Toke Kutaye District, Central Ethiopia.
A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January 28 to February 16, 2024. A total of 605 fathers with children under 2 years were randomly selected for interviews. Data on male involvement in child care were collected using a structured questionnaire. Data were entered using Epi-data version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 26. Bi-variable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed, applying adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) to assess statistical significance, with a < 0.05. Descriptive statistics were also computed and presented using text, charts, and tables.
The study found that 36.7% of fathers exhibited good involvement in childcare practices. While a majority contributed financially (55.6%) and engaged in play (55.4%), significantly fewer fathers participated in essential caregiving activities like feeding (27.3%) or seeking healthcare during illness (17.1%). Multivariable analysis identified significant predictors of paternal involvement: completing secondary education (AOR = 5.24, 95% CI: 2.64-10.38), having male children (AOR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.094-2.62), first birth order (AOR = 5.66, 95% CI: 2.79-11.45), and fewer family size (AOR = 4.82, 95% CI: 2.58-9.016).
This study underscores the limited yet essential role of fathers in child care within the Toke Kutaye District, revealing a need for targeted interventions to enhance paternal engagement. Promoting educational initiatives could serve as a strategy to foster deeper paternal participation in child-rearing practices, ultimately contributing to improved health and developmental outcomes for children.
男性参与儿童照料日益被视为促进儿童积极健康和发展成果的关键因素，尤其是在生命的关键早期阶段。在埃塞俄比亚，男性在育儿方面的低参与度加剧了公共卫生问题，包括高新生儿死亡率和五岁以下儿童死亡率。本研究调查了埃塞俄比亚中部托凯库塔耶区2岁以下儿童父亲中父亲参与儿童照料的患病率及相关因素。
于2024年1月28日至2月16日开展了一项基于社区的横断面研究。随机选取了605名有2岁以下子女的父亲进行访谈。使用结构化问卷收集男性参与儿童照料的数据。数据录入Epi-data 3.1版本，并使用SPSS 26版本进行分析。进行了双变量和多变量逻辑回归分析，应用调整后的优势比（AOR）及95%置信区间（CI）来评估统计学意义，α<0.05。还计算了描述性统计数据，并通过文本、图表和表格呈现。
研究发现，36.7%的父亲在儿童照料实践中表现出良好的参与度。虽然大多数父亲提供经济支持（55.6%）并参与玩耍（55.4%），但参与诸如喂食（27.3%）或在孩子生病时寻求医疗保健（17.1%）等基本照料活动的父亲明显较少。多变量分析确定了父亲参与的显著预测因素：完成中等教育（AOR = 5.24，95% CI：2.64 - 10.38）、有儿子（AOR = 1.69，95% CI：1.094 - 2.62）、头胎（AOR = 5.66，95% CI：2.79 - 11.45）以及家庭规模较小（AOR = 4.82，95% CI：2.58 - 9.016）。
本研究强调了托凯库塔耶区父亲在儿童照料中作用有限但至关重要，揭示了需要有针对性的干预措施来提高父亲的参与度。推广教育举措可作为一种策略，促进父亲更深入地参与育儿实践，最终有助于改善儿童的健康和发展成果。
