Practice of Early Childhood Development and Associated Factors Among Caregivers of Children’s at Bole Sub City Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background Enabling young children to achieve their full developmental potential is a human right and an essential requisite for sustainable development to achieve cognitive, physical, language, motor, social and emotional development. Literature indicated early child stimulation and responsive care are critical practices required for better early child development (ECD) score. Since ECD is new program for Ethiopia, there is no study on the ECD practice of caregivers and associated factors among women in Bole sub city. So, this study intended to address evidence gap by generating evidence on practice of ECD and associated factors. Objective To assess the practice of early childhood development practice and associated factors among caregivers of children at Bole Sub City Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2023 Method Cross sectional study design applied with systematic sampling procedures. Study participants were caregivers of children who visited the five health centers in bole sub city. The calculated sample sizes would be 427 caregivers. Data collected by using structured interviewer administer questionnaires by trained five female health professionals. Data will be coded and entered to Epi-data version 3.1 software and then exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Both descriptive and inferential analysis carried out. Multicollineality checked and managed accordingly. P-value < 0.05 used as cut of point to determined association. Result Among the total child care giver 76% (315) had good practice of ECD. Female care givers (AOR = 4.3, 95% CI: 2.1, 7.9), have two children (AOR = 5.2, 95% CI: 1.7, 12.3), have four children (AOR = 21.3, 95% CI: 13, 29.1) and mother’s educational status ≥ secondary school and above (AOR = 23.3, 95% CI: 11.1, 25) were positvely associated with good ECD practice. Whereas family size ≥ 4.6 (AOR = 0.09, 95% CI: 0.0, 0.7), no father engagement in child care (AOR = 0.04, 95% CI: 0.0, 0.5) and no decision-making autonomy of mother (AOR = 0.1, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.7) were negatively associated with good ECD practice. Conclusion Three-fourth of care givers had good ECD practice. Working on women empowerment, maternal/family coaching, women education and male engagement can bring change in early child development by ensuring early stimulation and responsive care.