Six in Ten Clinicians at Ethiopian Hospital Show Good Pediatric Pain Care

Most health care professionals at Hiwot Fana Comprehensive Specialized Hospital in Ethiopia demonstrate good practice in managing children’s pain, according to a cross-sectional study that also identifies the factors linked to better performance. The research, published in BMC Nursing, found that 112 of 181 participating professionals, or 61.9 percent, showed good pediatric pain management practice.

The study was conducted between December 30, 2025 and January 30, 2026 using an institution-based cross-sectional design. Researchers distributed a pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire to 193 health care professionals at the hospital, and 181 responded, yielding a response rate of 93.8 percent. The team then applied descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with practice quality.

Pain is considered the fifth vital sign, yet the study’s authors note it remains a critical but often neglected aspect of pediatric care. Inadequate pain management can carry significant consequences for children. While previous studies in Ethiopia have reported gaps in pediatric pain management, evidence on the practices of health care professionals in hospital settings and the factors shaping those practices has been limited.

The analysis identified several characteristics significantly associated with good practice. Professionals with good knowledge of pediatric pain management had roughly twice the odds of demonstrating good practice, with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.01 and a 95 percent confidence interval of 1.23 to 2.70.

Availability of pain assessment tools showed the strongest association in the study. Professionals working where such tools were available had an adjusted odds ratio of 2.92 for good practice, with a 95 percent confidence interval of 1.49 to 4.31. Utilization of pain management protocols was also linked to better practice, with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.78 and a confidence interval of 1.09 to 2.59.

Higher monthly income emerged as an additional independent predictor, with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.88 and a 95 percent confidence interval of 1.02 to 3.57. The researchers declared statistical significance at a p value below 0.05 and used odds ratios with 95 percent confidence intervals to measure the strength of each association.

Taken together, the findings suggest that roughly six out of ten professionals at the hospital demonstrated good pediatric pain management practice. The authors conclude that the availability of pain assessment tools, the presence of standardized protocols, good knowledge, and higher income were each significantly associated with better practice among the professionals studied.

Because the study was a single-center, institution-based cross-sectional survey relying on self-administered questionnaires, it captures practice and associated factors at one hospital at one point in time and reflects reported rather than directly observed behavior. The authors emphasize that strengthening institutional systems is essential to improve pediatric pain management and the quality of care delivered to children.

Subject of Research: Pediatric pain management practice and its associated factors among health care professionals at an Ethiopian specialized hospital

Article Title: Pediatric pain management practice and associated factors among health care professionals at Hiwot Fana Comprehensive Specialized Hospital

Article References: Mekonnen, F., Yishak, D., & Getachew, T. (2026). Pediatric pain management practice and associated factors among health care professionals at Hiwot Fana Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. BMC Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-026-05569-w

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12912-026-05569-w

Keywords: pediatric pain, pain management, health care professionals, Ethiopia, cross-sectional study, pain assessment tools, clinical protocols, hospital care, nursing, pain as vital sign, Pediatric, pain