Assessment of Pediatric Preventive Healthcare Services in Tikrit City, Iraq
Keywords:
Primary healthcare, pediatric preventive healthcare, caregiver satisfaction, health awareness, Tikrit, IraqAbstract
Background: Primary health care plays an essential role in child health promotion, immunization, early detection and prevention of communicable diseases. Measurement of service quality and providers and caregivers' perspectives can pinpoint obstacles to effective pediatric preventive care.
Objectives: To evaluate the level of pediatric preventive healthcare services from the eyes of healthcare providers and caregivers in Tikrit city.
Methods: The study was cross sectional descriptive study conducted from 20/11/2025 to 25/12/2025 at Tikrit Teaching Hospital and Primary healthcare centers. The number of participants was 140, who were selected and included as a convenience sample: 25 doctors, 30 community medicine staff, 85 caregivers. An Arabic structured questionnaire and direct interview were used to gather data. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test in SPSS version 25 with p<0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: Negative or neutral attitudes towards the service delivery were common, with more negative attitudes expressed regarding essential equipment, medicines in case of emergencies, infection-control policies, and health-awareness activities. In the Teaching-center group among doctors, 47.36% were not satisfied with the equipment they were using, and 50% of the community medicine staff at sub-centers were not satisfied. Among doctors, 75% of the community medicine staff at the sub-centers were not satisfied with the equipment they were using. Ventilation, waiting areas and times, instruments and supplies, diagnostic investigations, medicines, school health education, and preventive monitoring were identified for concern. Communication with staff was comparatively well rated and all 85 caregivers said that they would go back to the same center.
Conclusions: The results indicate that the primary issues are the lack of functional capacity, supplies, preventive monitoring and community outreach. Increased availability of equipment and medicines, more school health activities, periodic pediatric screening, and targeted health education can help improve pediatric preventive services in Tikrit.
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