Growth monitoring and promotion practices among health workers may be suboptimal despite high knowledge scores

BACKGROUND: The child health record booklet (CHRB) is a powerful tool for screening children under five and for education of caregivers by health workers. The objective of the present study was to assess the knowledge and utilization of CHRB by mothers and health workers in child growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) in the East Mamprusi Municipal, Northern region, Ghana. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among mothers attending child welfare clinics (CWC) and health workers providing GMP at CWC. Observational checklists were used to assess 73 CHRB on the completeness and correctness of growth charts. Mothers and health workers’ knowledge on essential components of CHRB were assessed with a questionnaire. RESULTS: Weight measurements were correctly recorded in all booklets analyzed. Even though a greater proportion (70.7%) of health workers exhibited high knowledge scores on the interpretation of the essential components of the CHRB,most of the charts analyzed were not completely filled (72.6%) but rather correctly filled (74.0%). Mean knowedge score (3.4 ± 1.3) on growth charting was low among mothers who attend GMP. Work overload (26.1%), inadequate supply of CHRB (26.1%) and vaccine shortages (18.7%) were concerns raised by health workers on the effective usage of the CHRB. CONCLUSION: Knowledge scores on the child health record booklets among health workers and mothers in this part of northern Ghana were high but charting of growth of children was sub-optimal among health workers. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s12913-019-4103-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.