Mary B. Adam|Maria Dillmann|Mei Kuang Chen|Simon Mbugua|John Njoroge Ndung'u|Priscilla Mumbi|Eunice Waweru|Peter Meißner
Improving Maternal and Newborn Health: Effectiveness of a Community Health Worker Program in Rural Kenya
Kijabe Hospital|University of Ulm|University of Arizona|Kijabe Hospital|Kijabe Hospital|Kijabe Hospital|Kijabe Hospital|University of Ulm
volunteer community health workers chws form important element many health systems kenya volunteers foundation promoting behavior change health education earlier case identification timely referral trained health care providers study examines effectiveness community health worker project conducted rural kenya sought promote improved knowledge maternal newborn health increase deliveries skilled attendancethe study utilized quasiexperimental nonequivalent design examined relevant demographic items knowledge maternal newborn health combined comprehensive retrospective birth history womens children using oral interviews women exposed health messages delivered chws exposed project trained chws three geographically distinct areasmean knowledge scores higher women reported exposed health messages chws eburru 323 versus 292 kinale 218 vs 207 nyakio 266 vs 238 number women delivering skilled attendance higher mothers reported exposure one health messages compared percentage facility deliveries women exposed health messages chws versus nonexposed eburru 46 versus 19 kinale 94 versus 73 nyakio 80 versus 78the delivery health messages chws increased knowledge maternal newborn care among women local community encouraged deliveries skilled attendance