ABSTRACT
This study investigated the awareness, attitudes, and practices related to the observation of retinoblastoma among 400 mothers of under-five children in Kaduna State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was employed. The total population of interest included 2,050,608 mothers of under-five children in Kaduna State.
The study utilized a multi-stage sampling approach, incorporating systematic, simple random, purposive, and proportionate sampling techniques to select the sample. Out of 400 distributed questionnaires, 374 (93.5%) were returned and deemed valid for analysis. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20, with descriptive statistics (frequency and percentages) for demographic details, and mean and standard deviations for addressing research questions. Inferential statistics, including one-sample t-tests, were used to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 significance level.
The findings revealed significant results across all areas:
- Awareness of retinoblastoma among the mothers was significant (t=29.730, p=0.001).
- Their attitudes towards the observation of retinoblastoma were also significant (t=19.327, p=0.001).
- Practices related to the observation of retinoblastoma among these mothers were significant (t=22.498, p=0.001).
In conclusion, the study found that mothers of under-five children are well-informed about retinoblastoma, possess a positive attitude towards its observation, and engage in adequate practices related to it. The study recommends that healthcare workers should regularly provide information about retinoblastoma to mothers during ante and post-natal care to enhance and maintain their awareness. Additionally, it suggests that crèche and nursery schools implement routine eye examinations and screenings as part of their health services to detect retinoblastoma early, given that this condition primarily affects pre-school-aged children.
