CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
This chapter presents the result of the study and their
discussion in line with research objectives. This discussion of the study
result was done while comparing the present research findings with those of
previous and recently related research studies. Still in discussing the study
results, the findings were used to answer the research questions from which the
objectives of the study evolved.
Demographic Characteristics
of Research Participants
The first research objective included
236 respondents, and in the course of data collection, the research succeeded
to collect all the questionnaires, that is; there was no questionnaire which
represented an error of omission. Descriptive statistics, mainly frequency and
percentages, were used to analyze data on objective one which was to find out
the demographic characteristics of the respondents in term of age, gender,
marital status, education background and occupation.
The entire respondents were women because in Rwandan community
health policy the CHWs in charge of newborn and maternal health are the women.
The frequency and percentage were meant to establish the most frequently
occurring responses and the least frequently occurring response.
The Table 3 presents the summary of findings, showing the
socio-demographic information of the respondents to the study which demonstrate
age, gender, marital status, education background and occupation in order to
know more information about the improvement of MNH services compared to the
incentives they get.
Table 3: Social-Demographic
Characteristics of Respondents
|
Item
|
Categories
|
Frequency
|
Percent
|
|
Age
|
15-19
20-35
36-50
51-60
|
2
106
125
3
|
0.8
44.9
53.2
1.3
|
|
Gender
|
Females
|
100
|
100
|
|
Marital status
|
Single
Married
Widow/Widower
Divorced
|
7
168
60
1
|
3.0
71.2
25.4
0.4
|
|
Educational level
|
No-formal Primary
Secondary
Post-secondary
|
1
151
69
14
|
0.8
64.0
29.2
5.9
|
|
Occupation
|
No job
Farmer
Cultivator
Farmer cultivator
Professional
Trading
|
4
55
91
47
11
28
|
1.7
23.3
38.6
19.9
4.7
11.9
|
Source: Primary data
Age: the findings on age range of CHWs in charge of maternal
and newborn health revealed that the majority of them 125 (53.2%) are those in
age range of 36 to 50 years followed by those of 20 to 35 represented by 106
(44.9%).
Gender: the category of 15 to 15 and 51 to 60 has the lowest
number of respondents as indicated by table 3. All respondents are women that
are why when you look at gender 236 (100%) were women.
Marital status: the marital status in this table shows that
the married are the predominant among other represented by 168 (71.1%) then
widow/Widower 60 (25.4%), one was divorced and 7(3.0) were single.
Education: the level of education was assessed in other to
test the knowledge of the respondents where we have found that the majority of
respondents 151 (64.0%) have primary level education, 69 (29.2) represent those
who have accomplished the secondary school level of education, 14 (5.9%) had
done post-secondary education and only one who had not accomplished the primary
school.
Occupation: most of CHWs in charge of maternal and newborn
health are in agriculture business; where 91(38.6%) are cultivators, 55(23.3%)
are the farmers, 47 (19.9%) are the farmers-cultivators, 28 (11.9%) are
traders, 11 (4.7%) are in professional employment and 4 (1.7%) are reported
jobless.
In this line with the research findings of Global Journal of
health Science (2012), on effect of social-demographic characteristics of CHWs
on performance of home visit during pregnancy where it was ascertained that
there was a significant relationship between age group than other and good
record with tasks performance.
Contrary to my research where the Rwandan Community health
policy put in place only women for follow-up of maternal and newborn health
this research conducted by Global Journal of health Science (2012), shows that
the male have a positive record more than the female while females were more
likely to counsel and enable their clients. That is why they have been choose
by Rwandan government to fill the position of CHWs in charge of maternal and
newborn health than their lower literacy level counterparts. Global Journal of
health Science (2012), concludes by emphasizing on reasons why the
Socio-demographic characteristics of community health workers affect the
performance of home visits in various ways. The study also confirmed that CHWs
with lower literacy levels satisfy and enable their clients effectively. Also
in the study conduct by Bagonza J et all, 2014, they find that females are
performing well.
In this study also, due to the policy in place which
emphasizes that all CHWs must accomplish at least primary school education and
above that is why their level of education mainly indicated 151(64.0%) who
accomplished primary school, 69(29.2%) have a secondary certificate, well as 14
(5.9%) have post-secondary education and only one among all respondents had not
accomplished primary school.
In the study conducted on Community Health Workers: Essential
to Improving Health in Massachusetts; 66% of respondents hold some form of
community college, college or university degree. Of the CHWs, 60% reported
holding some form of degree beyond high school. 19.2% had attended some college
level courses beyond high school. 12.5% hold a high school degree or its
equivalent, and only 4% do not hold a high school degree or its equivalent
(Massachusetts 2005).
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