A community-based intervention study for enhancing Hausa women's knowledge about maternal healthcare services

Background

This study focuses on enhancing the knowledge of maternal healthcare services among the Hausa community, recognizing the community's unique characteristics that may act as barriers to accessing such services.

Methods

Employing a quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test measurements, the study randomly assigned 166 participants into intervention and control groups. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and teaching guides used as intervention tools. Statistical analyses using SPSS version 22 included Independent T tests, and results were presented through frequencies, percentages, and bar charts.

Results

The post-test results in the intervention group demonstrated a significant increase in awareness of maternal healthcare services, with 96.3 % of participants being aware compared to 55.4 % in the pre-test. The mean knowledge score also exhibited improvement, rising from 2.1±2.1 in the pre-test to 5.4±1.6 in the post-test. In the control group, knowledge increased from 57.8 % pre-intervention to 63.0 %, but a significant portion (61.4 %) scored below the 50th percentile, indicating poor knowledge.

Conclusion

The study concludes that health education effectively improved understanding and awareness of maternal healthcare services among participants. These findings underscore the potential of targeted interventions to address knowledge gaps and improve access to maternal healthcare services within the Hausa community.