Determinants of community health workers' performance in India

Abstract

Forty-three anganwadi workers (community health workers) in Gujarat state, India, were interviewed to record their education level, evaluate their nutrition knowledge, and collect information on the number of visits made by the auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) in the preceding three months and the activities she performed for the anganwadi. Multiple regresssion analysis indicated that nutrition knowledge was the most powerful determinant of performance, followed by guidance from the ANM and education level. It is therefore concluded that anganwadi workers should receive nutrition health education and regular guidance from the ANMs, and their education level should be high school or above. -from Authors