Abstract:
Background: Developmental delays occur when a child does not reach developmental milestones
like motor skills, language, problem-solving, and social development compared to peers. These
delays are common in many developing countries like Ethiopia, but little is known about their
prevalence and the factors affecting them in Ethiopia, particularly in the study area. Hence, the
study aimed to assess the prevalence of developmental delays and their associated factors among
preschool children in Shashamane Town, Oromia region, Ethiopia.
Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 489 preschool children
in Shashamane Town using multi-stage sampling. Data were collected using validated ASQ-3
questionnaires by face-to-face interviews of parents or caregivers with childrens and analyzed with
SPSS version 25. Descriptive statistics, including frequency distributions, proportions, and graphs,
were used for presentation. Variables with a P-value < 0.25 in the bi-variable analysis were
included in multivariable logistic regression. The level of statistical significance was set at a p-
value of less than 0.05 in multivariable logistic regression.
Result: The overall prevalence of developmental delay was 20.0% (95% CI: 16.7–23.3). Delays
in communication 3.3%, gross motor 5.6%, fine motor skills (6.9%), problem-solving (6.3%), and
personal social 6.0%. Factors significantly associated with developmental delay were the 4 years
children (AOR = 0.476, 95%CI: 0.249, 0.910), teenage mother’s (AOR = 4.303, 95%CI: 1.200,
15.425), mother’s with no formal education (AOR = 3.548, 95%CI: 1.268, 9.929), merchant
mother’s (AOR = 2.588, 95%CI: 1.223, 5.475), child primary caregiver (AOR = 11.972, 95%CI:
4.108, 24.895), low birth weight (AOR = 3.612, 95%CI: 1.138, 11.464) and High birth weight
(AOR = 2.428, 95%CI: 1.094, 5.386).
Conclusion and Recommendation: The study found a high prevalence of developmental delay
compared to the WHO estimate. It identified various modifieable risk factors and recommended
early screening of children to ensure early detection and timely intervention.
