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Meta-Analysis
. 2022 Apr 18;22(1):213.
doi: 10.1186/s12887-022-03281-7.

Knowledge and practice of mothers towards sunshine exposure of their children in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Eyasu Alem Lake  1 , Birhanu Wondimeneh Demissie  2 , Natneal Atnafu Gebeyehu  3 , Gedion Asnake Azeze  3 , Kelemu Abebe Gelaw  3 , Robera Olana Fite  2 , Lielt Gebreselassie Gebrekirstos  2 , Tesfaye Yitna Chichiabellu  2 , Mistire Teshome Guta  2
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Knowledge and practice of mothers towards sunshine exposure of their children in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Eyasu Alem Lake et al. BMC Pediatr. .

Abstract

Background: Early morning sunlight exposure for infants is a good practice to prevent rickets and alleviate the problem of vitamin D deficiency. Rickets is a major public health problem in many countries especially in developing country including Ethiopia. As mothers are frontline person for their children who should know and practice about sunlight exposure, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the pooled level of knowledge and practice towards sunlight exposure of their children among mothers in Ethiopia.

Methods: PubMed, Google Scholar, Excerpta Medica database (EMBASE), Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and African Journal of Online (AJOL) were searched. The data were extracted using Microsoft Excel and analyzed using STATA version 14. Publication bias was checked by funnel plot and more objectively through Egger's regression test, with P < 0.05 considered to indicate potential publication bias. The heterogeneity of studies was checked using I2 statistics. Pooled analysis was conducted using a weighted inverse variance random-effects model. Subgroup analysis was done related to geographic region and time. A leave-one-out sensitivity analysis was also employed.

Result: A total of 8 studies with 2974 study participants for knowledge, nine studies with 3475 study participants for practice were used to estimate the pooled level of good knowledge and good practice of sunshine exposure among Ethiopian mothers. The overall estimated good level of knowledge and good practice towards sunshine exposure of their children among mothers was found to be 56.08% ((95% CI: 46.26 - 65.89%; I2 = 96.8%) and 55.632% (95%CI: 44.091 - 67.174%; I2 = 98.2%). Regional subgroup analysis showed that the pooled level of good practice in Amhara and Sidama regions found to be 54.41 and 58.32% respectively.

Conclusion: Study findings showed mothers knowledge and practice towards sunshine exposure of children was quite low in Ethiopia. This study therefore recommends that interventions are needed to increase knowledge and practice of sunlight exposure. This study provides much needed significant evidence for making health-policy recommendations for this vulnerable population group.

Keywords: Children; Ethiopia; Knowledge; Mothers; Practice; Sunlight; Sunshine.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declared no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Schematic presentation of study selection for systematic review and meta-analysis of KP towards sunshine exposure of their children among mothers in Ethiopia
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Funnel plots for publication bias of good level of knowledge towards sunshine exposure of their children among mothers in Ethiopia
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Funnel plots for publication bias of level of good practice towards sunshine exposure of their children among mothers in Ethiopia
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Forest plot for the pooled level of good knowledge towards sunshine exposure of their children among mothers in Ethiopia
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Forest plot for the pooled level of good practice towards sunshine exposure of their children among mothers in Ethiopia
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