DATA MANAGEMENT PRACTICE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS OF HEALTH EXTENSION WORKERS IN EAST GOJJAM ZONE, NORTHWEST ETHIOPIA, 2014

Abstract

Introduction: Health information is required for strategic planning, setting priorities, monitoring and improving quality of health care services. According to the assessment of the Ethiopian national health information system done by FMOH and WHO results, health information system resources, data management, dissemination and use are rated as “not adequate” among six components. Identifying factors affecting the data management practice of HEWs will have greater impute for policy makers, concerned offices, NGOs and coming researchers to have evidence based plan and take interventions. Objective: The objective of the study is to assess data management practice and associated factors among health extension workers in East Gojjam zone, Northwest, Ethiopia. Method: Institution based cross- sectional quantitative study was conducted. Simple random sampling technique was used to choose 40% of woredas and all HEWs in those randomly selected woredas were included in the study. The collected data was entered, cleaned and edited using Epi-info version 3.5.3; and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Bi variable and multivariable logistic regression analysis also carried out to see the effect of independent variables on the outcome variable. Result: A total of 302 Health extension workers were included in the study with response rate of 100%. About 47.4% respondents had good knowledge and 53.3% of respondents had good practice on data management. Having good knowledge [AOR=2.75, 95% CI: 1.62, 4.66], using electronic media as a source of health information [AOR= 1.88 (95% CI: 1.022, 3.47)], using written document as a source of health information [AOR= 2.063 (95% CI: 1.136-3.765)], do not face difficulties in understanding reporting formats [AOR= 1.81 (95% CI: 1.04-3.14)] were independently associated with good data management practice. Conclusion and recommendation: Generally, data management practice of HEWs who were working in the study area was not as such adequate. Knowledge on data management, don’t face difficulties in understanding reporting format, use written document and electronic material as a source of health information were significantly associated with data management practice of HEWs. Strengthen frequent supportive supervision, giving them capacity building trainings on data management and design easily understandable reporting formats are important to improve the problem.