Mequannent Sharew ^1* Bedilu Geremew ² Tesema Zewdu ³ Zemenu Molla ⁴ Gizachew K. Bizuneh ⁵ Abraham Yeneneh ⁶ Lamrot Yohannes ¹

• ¹ Institute of Public Health, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
• ² Health Informatics, Debrework Primary Hospital, Debrework, Ethiopia
• ³ Department of Health Informatics, Amhara Region, Amhara Public Health Institute Dessie Branch, Dessie, Ethiopia
• ⁴ Digo primary Hospital, Digo, Ethiopia
• ⁵ Dessie Referral Hospital, Dessie, Ethiopia
• ⁶ Department of Health Informatics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Introduction: The assessment of the Ethiopian National Health Information System revealed that, health information system resources, data management, dissemination and use were rated as "not adequate" among the six major components of the Health System. Health extension workers are the frontline health workforce where base line health data generated in Ethiopian health system. However, data collected, compiled and reported by Health extension workers are unreliable and with low Quality. Despite the huge problem of data management practice there is a lack of sound evidence to overcome health data management challenges particularly among health extension workers. Thus, this study was aimed to assess data management practice and associated factors of Health extension workers in Central Gondar Zone.Method: Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted among 383 health extension workers. Simple random sampling methods was used to select districts and all surveyed in the selected district and a structured self-administer questionnaire was used for data collection. The data was entered using Epi-data version 4.6 and analyzed using STATA, version 16. Bi-variable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses was executed. Odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals and P-value at p<0.05 was calculated to determine the strength of association and to evaluate statistical significance.Results: Out of 383 health extension workers, 383 responded to the questionnaire with a response rate of 100%. Fifty-four point seven of respondents had good data management practice. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis being married women, HEWs who has good data management knowledge, HEWs who has good attitude towards data management, HEWs who has one year to five year working experience and HEWs whose salary ranges from 5358 to 8013 were significantly associated factors for data management practice of health extension workers. The overall data management practice was poor, only five health extension workers out of ten had good data management practice. being married women, health extension workers who has good data management knowledge, good attitude, one year to five year working experience, and HEWs whose salary ranges from 5358 to 8013 were factors which determine good data management practice of health extension workers.