Assessment of parental knowledge on childhood developmental milestones and associated factors among parents of children under 5 years in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Parents’ knowledge of developmental milestones helps promote healthy development and appropriate expectations. Limited knowledge may contribute to neglect, abuse, and delayed recognition of developmental problems. Despite efforts to prevent developmental delays in Ethiopia, evidence on parental knowledge of developmental milestones remains limited. Therefore, this study aimed to assess parental knowledge of child developmental milestones and associated factors among parents of children under 5 years in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted among 3 sub-cities from July 15 to August 30, 2024, among 423 parents selected by a systematic random sampling technique. The data was collected by using interviewer-administered questionnaires. The descriptive part was presented using narration, tables, and figures. A bivariable logistic regression statistical analysis was used to identify potential candidate variables ( P < .25) for multivariable logistic regression analysis to control potential confounding variables; the regression result was presented using adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) and P value <.05 as level of significance. Overall, 30%, 95% CI: (25.6–34.3%) of parents had good knowledge about childhood developmental milestones. Sex (being female) AOR = 3.54, 95% CI:(1.30–9.67), family size (≥5) AOR = 2.73, 95% CI: (1.45–5.14), and source of information (social media) AOR = 2.34, 95% CI: (1.88–3.12) were factors that had a significant association with parental knowledge of childhood developmental milestones. Overall, fewer than one-third of parents had good knowledge of childhood developmental milestones. Parental knowledge was significantly associated with sex, family size, and source of information. These findings highlight the need for targeted educational interventions to improve parents’ knowledge of childhood developmental milestones.