Yohannes Kebede, Eshetu Girma and Gemechis Etana
Background: Health Extension Program (HEP) was launched-innovative community health service since 2002 in Ethiopia. Since then, families have been graduating as models for the HEP. This study intended to compare model and non-model families (MFs and NMFs) on MCH behaviors.
Methods: We conducted correlational study between mothers' model status and MCH service use in Sebeta Hawas district, Oromia, Ethiopia. A total of 305 samples of MFs and NMFs were involved in the study. We applied simple random sampling. We used a questionnaire adapted from literatures together with discussion guides. It mainly composed of utilization of Family Planning (FP), antenatal care (ANC), delivery care (DC), postnatal care (PNC) and immunization. We analyzed the quantitative data using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16. Finally, we triangulated the quantitative and qualitative findings.
Results: The study showed statistically significant variations between MFs and NMFs over family size, knowledge of (ANC, delivery complications and PNC) and utilization of (FP and ANC visits). These variables were positively linked with being from MFs. For example, 114/201 (56.7%) current FP users, 120/222 (54.1%) ANC visitors, and 56/82 (68.3%) repeated (>=4) ANC visitors were from MFs compared to NMFs (PV<0.001). However, mothers from MFs & NMFs had no statistically significant variation on delivery, PNC & immunization utilization. Closure of health posts during work time, inaccessible institutional delivery service (for MFs) and perceived invulnerability to delivery complications (for NMFs) hampered the MCH behaviors.
Conclusions: Though MFs and NMF were similar over some MCH service knowledge and utilization, they vary over FP and ANC. MFs can be advocate for enhancing adoption and diffusion of earlier stage MCH behaviors. However, beyond the control bottlenecked MFs in playing modeling roles for later stages behaviors (DC/PNC/immunization). Therefore, HEP designers and implementers shall work on system challenges and marketable models with reinforcing name for those behaviors.