Assessing Community Health Interventions in Reducing Infant and Child Mortality in the Southeastern Benin

Background: To reduce infant and child mortality in Benin, a package of high-impact interventions per healthcare level was implemented in 2009. This study aimed to assess the quality of community-based health interventions in reducing infant and child mortality within the municipality of Pobè in southeastern Benin. Methods: This was a cross-sectional evaluative study carried out in November 2021 focused on children aged 0 - 59 months, their mothers, health workers, community facilitators, community health workers and the Town Hall health focal point. Mothers and their children were targeted by cluster sampling, and exhaustive selection was used to recruit all other participants. Predetermined scores based on rating criteria were used to assess the quality of community health interventions using the “input, process and outcome” of Donabedian approach. Results: Over 300 mother-child couples, 46 community health workers, 7 health agents, 1 community facilitator and 1 health focal point from Pobè town hall were surveyed. Intervention quality was judged as “average”, with a score of 73.80%. The “inputs” and “outcomes” components were the weakest links. Conclusion: Improving access to the inputs needed by community health workers can enhance the quality of PIHI interventions.

Analysis of Professional Quality Cultivation Strategies for Infant and Child Care Service Talents from the Perspective of Collaboration of Medical Care,Parenting,and Education,and Integration of Industry and Education

The collaboration of medical care,parenting,and education aims to integrate nursing,midwifery,infant and child care services,and management with speech and hearing rehabilitation technology,among other elements related to the infant care industry chain.This integration targets pediatrics talent training in nine infant care positions,including nursing,infant health care and management,and child rehabilitation,to ensure that the capabilities and quality of professional talents can meet the health care needs of infants and young children.This article briefly explains the background of the“collaboration of medical care,parenting,and education,and integration of industry and education.”It analyzes the necessity of cultivating infant and child care service talents based on the perspective of“collaboration of medical care,parenting,and education,and integration of industry and education.”Based on this perspective,we conducted an in-depth study of the cultivation of professional qualities of infant and child care service talents.

Complementary feeding patterns among ethnic groups in rural western China

Objective： This study investigated complementary feeding practices among four ethnic groups（Han, Uygur, Tibetan, and Zhuang） based on a cross-sectional survey in rural western China. Methods： In 2005, a stratified multistage cluster random sampling method was used to recruit 9712 children（7411 Han, 1032 Uygur, 678 Tibetan, and 591 Zhuang） between 6 and 35 months of age and their mothers from 45 counties in 10 provinces（autonomous regions, municipalities） in western China. Results： The rates of early introduction（before 6 months） of complementary foods in four ethnic groups（Han, Uygur, Tibetan, and Zhuang） were 71.30%, 95.95%, 82.40%, and 72.30%, respectively. The Infant and Child Feeding Index（ICFI） for Uygur and Tibetan children was lower than that for Han children at all age groups. Uygur children were more likely to have unqualified ICFI compared with Han children in a multivariate logistic regression（odds ratio（OR）=5.138, 95% confidence interval（CI）： 4.340–6.084）. A higher level of maternal education, greater family wealth, and the availability of complementary feeding educational materials decreased the likelihood of an unqualified ICFI. The nutritional status of children（Han, Tibetan, and Zhuang） with qualified ICFI was better than that for children with unqualified ICFI. Conclusions： Appropriate interventions are required to improve complementary feeding practices in rural western China.