The Knowledge, Perception And Practices Of Myths Encountered Among Caregivers In Enugu, Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Many beliefs concerning child care abound and these vary across all walks of life. Assessed the knowledge, perception and practice of these myths among care- givers of children living in Enugu. Our survey found that, there is still a high level of belief in myths and local practices among caregivers in Enugu. Methods:Study population- caregivers visiting paediatric outpatient clinics in Enugu. Sampling method- a hospital-based, cross-sectional study. Self- administered questionnaires were used to obtain information from the caregivers. Analysis-Data collected was analyzed using SPSS version 26.0 Results: shows that 83.7% of the study participants are females while 16.3% are males, giving the male to female ratio as 1:5. Most of the study participants (75.2%) were within the age bracket of 21 and 40 years and the mean ± SD age was 32.42 ± 9.83. The most prevalent belief is that the breast nipple must be washed before every feeding, reported by 64.2% of participants. The most commonly practiced belief is that teething causes symptoms, reported by 49.2% of respondents. This is followed by the belief that breast milk can become sour if not consumed for a long period, practiced by 46.6% of respondents. The third most practiced belief is related to "Jedi jedi" (30.6%), a condition locally associated with gastrointestinal distress.These findings highlight that, while traditional beliefs are pervasive across all age groups, younger participants are more likely to adhere to certain beliefs, particularly those related to dietary restrictions and traditional remedies for convulsions. Conclusion: It can be inferred from the findings of this survey that, there is still a high level of belief in myths and local practices among caregivers of children in Enugu, despite efforts to educate the general public about childhood illnesses. This study also shows that maternal education is an important factor for improved outcomes in paediatric care in our environment