Abstract:
Background: Parental satisfaction is an important dimension of the quality of a child's care, which
has been shown to improve their health outcomes, including adherence to therapeutic regimens
and understanding medical information. While previous studies have been conducted in Ethiopia,
there are still factors that have not been addressed, and little information is available on the
magnitude and associated factors of parental satisfaction in the study area.
Objective: This study aimed to determine the magnitude of parental satisfaction with neonatal
intensive care and its associated factors among parents with neonates admitted to neonatal
intensive care units at referral hospitals in eastern Ethiopia from June to August 2023.
Method:A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted using a systematic random
sampling technique to select 418 parents whose newborns were admitted to the neonatal intensive
care unit. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire through face-to-face
interviews and chart/record reviews. The data were coded, entered into Epi-Data version 4.6, and
transferred to SPSS version 25 for analysis. A binary logistic regression analysis was conducted
to identify factors associated with parent satisfaction.
Result: The magnitudes of parental satisfaction towards care given in neonatal intensive care unit
was 50.5 %( 95%CI: 45.6-55.5). Being rural resident (AOR=2.13; 95% CI: 1.33-3.43), shorter
hospital stay (AOR=4.25, 95% CI: 2.08-8.69), baby able to breast feed (AOR=2.46; 95% CI: 1.48-
4.09), having single birth (AOR=4.16; 95% CI: 1.91-9.03) and being satisfied with availability
and quality of family room (AOR=2.36; 95% CI:1.40-3.99) were factors significantly associated
with parent satisfaction toward care given in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Conclusion: The study found that one in two parents were satisfied with the care given in neonatal
intensive care units, which is relatively low compared to other studies. Factors such as rural
residence, shorter hospital stay, baby able to breastfeeding, single birth, and availability and quality
of the family room were associated with parental satisfaction towards care given in neonatal
intensive care units. It is important to provide more attention to parents with related factors to
improve their satisfaction with neonatal care units.
