The study was conducted at commune health care stations in 10 provinces of 7 ecological areas of Vietnam. Results showed that: the accessibility of health care service hasn't meet the demand, the health care service provision and use for women in the rural communes has many limits, there has been the obvious gender inequality in health expenditures, the essential reproductive health care for women in rural communes is insufficient and under the National standards. It is necessary to enhance the quality of health care service in general, reproductive health care for women at reproductive age in rural areas in particular, complete research methodology on health care service accessibility and use in the public
Delivery of Health Care ; Rural Health ; Women

An intervention to promote health workers' ability and EIC for reproductive age women at Cam Chinh commune, Cam Lo, Quang Tri achieved some significant improvements in health care services, reproductive health care, prenatal care, and child feeding practice. Significant improvements were found on utilization of prenatal care including health adequate check-ups and sufficient vaccination for pregnant women. Improvements were also in deliveries were supported by medical professionals, the postpartum medical care, and full utilization of natal and postnatal care.
Delivery of Health Care ; Women, Rural Health

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 96 married women aged 15-49 in a rural Northern commune in December 2004. The results showed that the RTls prevalence was 53.1 %. Of these 96 respondents, 55.2% had adequate knowledge about RTls. There was a relatively high agreement between the RTI diagnosed by health workers and RTls self-diagnosed by the respondents on (Kappa = 0.41). Almost 59% of the women were aware of their infections but they did not seek for any medical treatment because 64.3% thought RTls was not a big deal, 50% did not have time, 39.3% felt ashamed to try, 21.4% of them waited for regular check-up campaigns, and 7.1% felt bearable not to go for a health check-up. There was an association between adequate IEC provided to the women and their knowledge on RTIs (OR=5.56; 95% CI: 1.88-16.90), between their knowledge and their capability to selfidentify RTls (OR=22; 95% CI: 5.02-111.41). Women who thought local commune health station well equipped and adequate medications were 4.6 times more likely to come for medical treatment than those who did not think so. The selfperception of the women on their RTIs' was highly matched with the results of clinical exams (75%). Health workers were best health information providers via direct EIC and consultation.
Reproduction ; Infection ; Women ; Rural Health ; Reproductive Medicine

Access to Information ; Child ; Child Health Services ; Disasters ; Earthquakes ; Humans ; Rural Health Services ; Women's Health Services

Finances of health insurance can be explained by factors determining benefit expense and premium collection. This study was conducted to analyze factors contributing to the financial status of rural health insurance. Nationwide 134 health insurance associations except the six pilot project counties were analyzed and obtained the followings. 1. In univariate analysis, statistically significant variables that explain 1) outpatient benefit expenditures include public health center utilization, proportion of pregnant women, premium and collection rate of premium 2) inpatient benefit expenditures include public health center utilization, proportion of old age, proportion of pregnant women, premium and collection rate of premium 3) profits include public health center utilization, proportion of old age, proportion of pregnant women and collection rate of premium. 2. In multiple regression analysis, statistically significant determinants in 1) outpatient benefit include premium and public health utilization 2) inpatient benefit include premium 3) profit include public health center utilization, premium and collection rate of premium.
Female ; Health Expenditures ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Insurance ; Insurance, Health* ; Outpatients ; Pilot Projects ; Pregnant Women ; Public Health ; Regression Analysis ; Rural Health

OBJECTIVETo provide insight into the psychosocial factors underlying the utilisation of health services by women with reproductive tract infection (RTI) symptoms.

METHODSA cross-sectional study, adopting Aday and Andersen' s Social Behaviour Model, was conducted between 1998 and 1999 in Chinese Hebei province and Beijing. A total of 864 eligible married women (age 21 to 60 years) were face to face interviewed.

RESULTSThe percentage of self-reported symptoms of RTIs in urban and rural women was 35.6 and 46.8, respectively; the proportion of women with RTIs who utilised health services was 27.5% and 26.7%, respectively. Compared to urban women, rural women had less knowledge on RTIs and more traditional beliefs, and were more satisfied with local health services. The results of logistic regression analysis showed that the common factor influencing health service utilisation in women with RTIs was current experience of RTIs. Knowledge about self-medication, perceived social stigma attached to RTIs, prior experience of RTIs, family income and perceived severity of RTIs were also predictors of utilisation of health services in rural women with RTIs. Satisfaction with health providers, information received from health providers, prior experience of RTIs, occupation and medical care coverage were predictors of utilisation of health services in urban women with RTIs.

CONCLUSIONThe prevalence of RTIs is high, but the rate of seeking health services is low. There is a great need for emphasizing culturally acceptable reproductive health education in different places to improve women' s ability for self-care. Regular medical check-ups for women are also important. It is necessary to improve the quality of health service, complete the reform of health insurance and alleviate women' s social stigma related to RTIs, giving women social and moral support.

Adult ; China ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Genital Diseases, Female ; therapy ; Health Services Needs and Demand ; Humans ; Infection ; therapy ; Middle Aged ; Rural Health ; Urban Health ; Women's Health Services ; utilization

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to measure the levels of adherence and to identify factors associated with adherence to option B+ prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) among pregnant and lactating mothers in selected government health facilities of South Wollo Zone, Amhara Region, northeast Ethiopia. METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional quantitative study design was employed from March 1, 2016 to April 14, 2016, using a standard structured data collection instrument. A sample of 191 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive pregnant and lactating mothers who were receiving PMTCT follow-up in the selected health facilities participated in the study. The data were entered using EpiData 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 21. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to identify factors associated with adherence. The p-values <0.05 and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to identify associations between independent predictors and the outcome variable. RESULTS: The level of adherence to option B+ PMTCT drugs was 87.9%. Women who received in-hospital treatment, who lived in rural areas, and faced challenges in initiating lifelong option B+ treatment on the same-day that they were diagnosed with HIV were less likely to adhere to the treatment (adjusted odds ratios [95% CI] of 0.3 [0.11 to 0.82], 0.26 [0.1 to 0.73], and 0.08 [0.02 to 0.37], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Collaborative efforts of zonal health departments with health facility administrators and counselors are recommended for effective and efficient interventions focusing on hospitals, rural areas, and patients who face challenges on the day of their diagnosis.
Breast Feeding ; Counseling ; Data Collection ; Diagnosis ; Ethiopia* ; Female ; Fluconazole ; Follow-Up Studies ; Health Facilities* ; Health Facility Administrators ; HIV ; Hospitals, Rural ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Medication Adherence ; Mothers* ; Odds Ratio ; Pregnant Women

Compared to urban communities, rural districts are in lack of medical service. With an increasing population of old aged people and low economical income, the demand for reinforcing health organizations is growing. Woman's health is expecially an important source of their family members' lives. Public health policies and studies for women's health, however, have emphasized only child-maternal health to want general covering and studies of health and wellness. Particularly study of women's health in rural area is almost rare that personal, material benefits in this area lack quantity, amount of women's labor is big, and basic elements of living such as diet and elimination are irregular, due to the range of the tide thus has many potential health problems. In this regard, this study attempted to grasp the health problems of adult women in rural area and to provide bases for developing health promotion and health education programs. In collecting data for this study, face to face interviews were made through a structured questionnaire from January to April 1 in 1998. And collected data were analyzed with SAS statistics program, descriptive statistics, t-test and ANOVA. Subjects' health status were examined by classifying into such as their health perception, complained health problem, smoking, alcohol intake, substance abuse, health behavior, comprehensive medical testing, muscle strength and stretching, and the result of examination is follows : 1. As for subjects' health perception, 1.47% of the subject answered that 'not sick but not so healthy' 27.94% thought they were healthy, while 69.7% answered they were not healthy. 2. As for the complained health problem, many complained pains in the muscle and skeletal system, especially back pain, finger joint and knee joint pain. Women's health problems related with the breast and reproductive system include case of 52.26% of receiving the breast self examination while 56.55% of receiving the cervical cancer screening test. 3. As for the rate of smoking, 1.47% used to smoke while 40.30% used to intake alcohol. 4. Rate of substance abuse was 46.03% of the subject. 5. Rate of subjects receiving the comprehensive medical testing was 36.76% while 63.24% did afterward managing behaviors. 6. 47% of subjects' muscle strength and 13% of stretching were not good enough to need the health education on physical exercises. Therefore, based on this result, appropriate health education programs require to be developed to promote the adult women's health in rural area.
Adult* ; Back Pain ; Breast ; Breast Self-Examination ; Diet ; Exercise ; Female ; Finger Joint ; Hand Strength ; Health Behavior ; Health Education ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; Mass Screening ; Muscle Strength ; Maternal Health ; Public Health ; Rural Population ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Substance-Related Disorders ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; Women's Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: This study was done to examine the difference in cancer screening with mammography and Papanicolaou smear according to Body Mass Index (BMI). METHODS: The participants in this study were 5,912 women ages 40 to 69 yr, selected from the Korean Genomic Regional Cohort in Kangwon province. Mammography and Papanicolaou smear were assessed by questionnaire and body weight (kg) and height (m) measured to calculate BMI. RESULTS: The distribution of BMI was as follows: low weight (1.5%), normal weight (31.1%), over weight (24.6%), mildly obese (36.4%) and severely obese (6.3%). After adjusting for age, education and monthly income, compared with normal weight women, overweight women (odds ratio [OR]=1.283, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.089-1.513) and mildly obese women (OR=1.214, 95% CI=1.048-1.406) were less likely to have had mammography. In contrast to mammography, cancer screening with Papanicolaou smear was not significantly different by BMI. CONCLUSION: Obese women in rural areas are less likely to screen for breast cancer by using mammography than non obese women. To ensure regular screening for breast cancer, health care providers need to give scrupulous care to obese women and remove barriers originated from obesity. Also, educational and clinical implications are considered to increase the Papanicolaou smear rate.
Adult ; Aged ; *Body Mass Index ; Breast Neoplasms/prevention & control/*radiography ; Cohort Studies ; Demography ; Female ; Humans ; *Mammography ; Middle Aged ; Obesity/psychology ; Republic of Korea ; Rural Population ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/*pathology/prevention & control ; *Vaginal Smears ; Women's Health