A Study on the Determinants of Utilization of Family Health Worker in Rural Korea

일부농촌주민의 가정건강요원 이용에 영향을 주는 요인에 관한 연구 -연세 강화보건시범사업지역을 중심으로-

The objectives of this study were to identify the determinants of the 1. Home visiting activities by FHWs 2. Utilization of village Family Health Workers(FHWs) 3. Attitudes towards FHWs 4. Knowledge about FHW's activities] among housewives in the Kang Wha Community Health Project area This study was analysed by using path analysis Exogenous variables were 1. Distance between the housewives' houses and that of their local FHW 2. Duration of work of each FHW as FHW in her village 3. Number of preschool children in the households Endogenous variables were 1. Home visiting frequency to each household by FHW 2. Knowledge about FHW's activities 3. Attitude towards FHWs 4. Utilization of FHW] by the housewives The results were as follows: The shorter the distance between client's and FHW's house, the higher the number of preschool children in the household, and the longer the duration of work of FHW as FHW, the higher is the number of her household visits in a given time span. The more frequently the FHW visits a household and the higher the knowledge about FHW's activities in the household, the more positive is the attitude of the housewives to the FHW and the more frequently she visits and utilizes the FHW on her own initiative.