Can a community health worker administered postnatal checklist increase health-seeking behaviors and knowledge?: evidence from a randomized trial with a private maternity facility in Kiambu County, Kenya

Authors: Margaret McConnell, Allison Ettenger, Claire Watt Rothschild, Faith Muigai and Jessica Cohen

A randomized trial evaluates the effectiveness of a CHW program in Kenya which implements home visits or calls to new mothers three days after delivery. Surveys were utilized to measure compliance, self-reported health problems, care-seeking behaviors, and postnatal knowledge and practices among new mothers who received one of three randomly assigned postnatal care practices. Results showed that mothers who received CHW home visits were more likely to recognize postnatal problems and seek care for those problems than mothers who received a phone call or standard care. These results support that CHW-administered postnatal care can improve health-seeking behaviors and knowledge among mothers in Kenya.