 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Charles Teller, PhD, Monitoring and Evaluation Department, Centre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA), 1400 16th St, NW, Suite 100, Washington, DC 20036, Anand Tamang, MPhil, Director, Centre for Research on Environment, Health and Popoulation Activities (CREHPA), P.O Box # 9626, Kathmandu, Nepal, Shailes Neupaney, MA, Executive Director, Valley Reseearch Group (VaRG), P.O. BOx # 4112, Kathmandu, Nepal, Nepal, Deepak Bajracharya, MBA, Deputy director of Programs, Centre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA), Gairidhar, GPO 8975, EPC 5316, Kathmandu, Nepal, and Cynthia Green, PhD, Monitoring and Evaluation Department, CEDPA, 1400 16th St, NW, Suite 100, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 939-2690, cgreen@cedpa.org.
Background: Communication Action Groups (CAGs) were developed by the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) in 1996 as a forum to increase women’s communication about reproductive health among themselves and with their husbands. The CAGs were formed in three isolated rural districts. By mid-2002, 495 groups with 9,900 members were active in 85 villages. Working with a network of clinical and non-clinical community health providers, the CAGs ensure that reproductive health information is properly disseminated and understood. Objective: To compare the increase in contraceptive prevalence rates (CPR) in CAG intervention districts with that in comparative, non-intervention areas, and understand the program and non-program factors associated with such behavior change. Methods: Previous studies in the program districts will be utilized. An integrated quantitative/qualitative study was carried out in mid-2002, consisting of surveys with 949 CAG and non-CAG members, as well as 25 focus groups. In December 2001, a population and contraceptive prevalence census was also carried out in CAG and non-CAG areas in all three districts. National DHS surveys were conducted in 1991, 1996 and 2001. Results: The CPR in the program districts has increased significantly during program implementation: by more than 200% in the CAG districts over the last 10-year period while increasing only by 50% in the non-CAG districts. We will analyze the factors associated with such differential CPR increases, and the role of the CAGs in changing behaviors such as spousal communication, women’s household decision-making and community participation.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Reproductive Health Research, Communication Evaluation
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Handout (.ppt format, 5896.5 kb)