Document is current

Article History

Received: 16 December 2024

Accepted: 11 August 2025

First Online: 1 September 2025

Declarations

:

: prior to data collection, appropriate ethical clearance and a supportive letter were obtained from the Ethical Review Committee of Debark University. Official letters were submitted to the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital to undertake the study. Participation in the study was entirely voluntary. Participants were informed of their right to withdraw from the study at any point without any negative consequences.

: Informed written consent was obtained from all mothers/caregivers of the study participants after clearly explaining the objectives of the study. To ensure confidentiality, participants were assured that the information they provided would be kept private, and no personal identifiers were used—only codes were assigned to questionnaires. No payments or incentives were provided to encourage participation.To safeguard emotional well-being, interviews were conducted in a safe, private, and supportive environment. Participants were informed that they could pause or stop the interview at any time if they felt uncomfortable. Additionally, the interviewers were trained to respond sensitively to emotional distress and to provide immediate psychological support.

: Not applicable.

: The authors declare no competing interests.