Awareness and Communication Behaviour of Female Health Workers in Reproductive and Child Health Programme

Abstract

Reproductive health issues are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among women globally, with younger women being particularly affected. In response, the Government of India launched the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) programme in October 1997 to deliver integrated welfare services to this vulnerable population. Female Health Workers (FHWs) are critical to the implementation of health services, especially within the scope of the RCH programme. The effectiveness of this program largely hinges on the awareness and communication behaviors of FHWs. This study aimed to assess the awareness levels of FHWs regarding the RCH programme and to examine the relationship between their awareness and communication behaviors. The study was conducted in Thiruvananthapuram District, the capital of Kerala. A total of 100 FHWs were selected using the Proportionate Stratified Random Sampling method. An awareness test was employed to evaluate the FHWs' knowledge about the RCH programme. The results indicated that 82% of the FHWs had a moderate level of awareness. Furthermore, the study found no significant correlation between the communication behaviors of the respondents and their awareness of the RCH programme.