The Effect of Health Care Program for Newly Married Couple in a Community Health Care Center

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The research purpose was analysis of the effect of a health education program for newly-married executed from 2003 to 2005 as a part of health care service from community health center and providing the fundamental source for health education needed during newly-married. METHOD: The data collection with structured questionnaires was conducted during October to December in 2006. From the health center 106 brides who participate the program and 130 brides who didn't participate. Health care program for newly married couple were composed health examinations and health educations. Health examinations were CBC, LFT and Ag & Ab prevallence rates of hepatitis B, rubella. Health educations were done two times, the first individual health education was done at enrolled in health center for establishment of desirable couple relationship, family planning, contraception method and management of pre-pregnancy. The second individual health education was done for explanation of blood examination results, prevention of the congenital deformity and the vertical transmission of hepatitis B, management for pregnancy, breast feeding method, introduction to safety delivery method and encouraging self-study using by materials made by health center after two weeks at revisiting health center. SPSS/PC(ver. 12.0) and chi2-test, t-test was used to analyze the collected and tabulated data. Socio-demographic characteristics and regional characteristics of residence area of two groups shows no significant difference. RESULT: As a variables of experimental effect, The natural childbirth rates of participants group was significantly higher than Non-participants group(p=.012). Breast feeding rates for participants group was also statistically significant higher than Non-participants group. Contraception rates showed no significant difference. The rubella vaccination rates (p=.001) and The hepatitis B vaccination rates (p=.012) shows statistical differences. CONCLUSION: Therefore health care program for newly married couple in a community health care center was effective generally. We supposed that explore participation ways for non-participants, expand the program to community health care center in whole country.