Effectiveness of Trained Religious Leaders' Engagement in Maternal Health Education in Ethiopia

NCT05716178 | Unknown

• 1 other identifier: RP0133/12
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 612
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Community education and demand generation activities by involving family members, traditional and religious leaders in maternal health behaviours are potential solutions. Knowledge about maternal and neonatal health service utilization can be increased through community-based structures, such as religious organizations.

Conditions

Maternal Health

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Proportion of skilled delivery service utilization

  Proportion of skilled delivery service utilization will be measured based on women who gave birth in health center and hospital by assistance of health professionals that have midwifery skills including Midwife nurse, Nurse, Health Officers and Doctors as reported by the participant.

  one month

• Proportion of antenatal care service utilization

  Proportion of antenatal care service utilization will be measured based on "at least one ANC attendance" (Women who have attended at least one ANC check-up during their current pregnancy) and "four or more ANC attendance" (Women who attended four or more ANC visits) during their current pregnancy as reported by the participant.

  one month

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Proportion of knowledge of major obstetric danger signs

  one month

• proportion of perception of pregnancy risk

  one month

• Proportion of birth preparedness and complication readiness

  one month

Study Arms (2)

Maternal health education

EXPERIMENTAL

participants in the intervention group will receive behavioral change communication on maternal health from trained religious leaders. The local religious leaders from each clustered kebele will be recruited based on religious educational status (educational status greater than or equal to diploma), acceptance by their followers and popularity, in collaboration with religious organization leaders, health extension workers, and kebele leaders. Then after the potential religious leaders are recruited, the two days training will be given for them. Recruited religious leaders are expected to give training on the topics (maternal health) for four sessions to promote healthy maternal behaviors for the members of their religion. After training sessions, every participant will receive a copy of the visual materials (posters) containing the key messages for promoting prenatal health behaviors.

Behavioral: Maternal health education

Usual or routine care

NO INTERVENTION

The control group in this study will be on the existing routine maternal service without a provision of religious leaders' training intervention. In this arm, there will be no intervention by the researchers, rather baseline and end line data will be collected.

Interventions

Maternal health education BEHAVIORAL

The local religious leaders from each clustered kebele will be recruited based on religious educational status (educational status greater than or equal to diploma), acceptance by their followers and popularity, in collaboration with religious organization leaders, health extension workers, and kebele leaders. Then after the potential religious leaders are recruited, the two days training will be given for them. Recruited religious leaders are expected to give training on the topics (maternal health) for four sessions to promote healthy maternal behaviors for the members of their religion.

Maternal health education

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 49 Years
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Pregnant women less than 20 weeks gestational age
• Living in selected kebele (small administrative unit in Ethiopia)
• Pregnant women willing to participate in the study

You may not qualify if:

• Pregnant women who are seriously ill and unable to communicate will be excluded from the study.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Jimma University: lead
• Wachemo University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Hadiya Zone

Awasa, Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, Ethiopia

RECRUITING

Related Publications (1)

• Sadore AA, Kebede Y, Birhanu Z. Effectiveness of engaging religious leaders in maternal health education for improving maternal health service utilization in Ethiopia: cluster randomized controlled trial. Front Public Health. 2024 Jul 29;12:1399472. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1399472. eCollection 2024.

  PMID: 39135926 DERIVED

Study Officials

• Yohannes Kebede, PhD

  Jimma University

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Central Study Contacts

Abinet A Sadore, Master

CONTACT

+251916100682; abinetarege@gmail.com

Yohannes Kebede, PhD

CONTACT

+251917025852; yohanneskbd@gmail.com

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: The intervention will be single-blinded. The outcome assessors will be masked.
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Model Details: The study will have two arms, i.e., intervention and control groups. The intervention group is assigned to receive training from religious leaders on maternal and neonatal health and the control group will be left to continue the routine practices.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 21, 2023
• First Posted: February 8, 2023
• Study Start: March 1, 2023
• Primary Completion: July 1, 2023
• Study Completion: July 1, 2023
• Last Updated: February 13, 2023

Record last verified: 2023-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF, CSR

Locations

ET (1)