Social Work Intervention Strategies as a Factor in the Use of Reproductive Health Services by Women of Reproductive Age in North-Central Nigeria

The reproductive health outcomes among women of reproductive age in North-Central Nigeria are still not optimal despite various health initiatives. Social workers contribute largely to increasing access to reproductive health care through health education, counseling, and advocacy. The current study investigates the role of social work interventions in promoting the utilization of reproductive health care services among women aged 15 to 49 years in some select areas. The study adopts a cross-sectional research design mixed methods model. The quantitative study aimed to collect data from 400 women participants using multistage sampling in which clustering and simple random sampling methods are combined. In this research, key interviews of 12 participants, namely, some select social workers and community health staff, are purposively sampled based on their profession. The quantitative study uses an interviewer-administered questionnaire for data generation. On the other hand, its corresponding qualitative investigation uses an interview guide. The quantitative study applied descriptive and inference statistical analyses, namely, chi-square and logistic regression analyses. The qualitative investigation involves manual transcription and thematic content analyses methods to generate themes emerging in some select interviews. The investigation resulted in establishing that women accessing health care through health education, counseling, and referral led by social workers showed higher receptivity to family planning, antenatal care, and delivery care. The investigation concludes that social workers must enhance their interventions as indispensable strategies for optimizing reproductive health care in this region.

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