title: Evaluation of a community intervention for promotion of safe motherhood in Eritrea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We evaluated a community-based intervention to promote safe motherhood, focusing on knowledge and behaviors that may reduce maternal mortality and birth complications. The intervention aimed to increase women's birth preparedness, knowledge of birth danger signs, use of antenatal care services, and birth at a health care facility.
  
  
  METHODS
  Volunteers from a remote rural community in Northern Eritrea were trained to lead participatory educational sessions on safe motherhood with women and men. The evaluation used a quasiexperimental design (nonequivalent group pretest-posttest) including cross-sectional surveys with postpartum women (pretest n = 466, posttest n = 378) in the intervention area and in a similar remote rural comparison area.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women's knowledge of birth danger signs increased significantly in the intervention area but not in the comparison area. There was a significant increase in the proportion of women who had the recommended 4 or more antenatal care visits during pregnancy in the intervention area (from 18% to 80%, P < .001), although this proportion did not change significantly in the comparison area (from 53% to 47%, P = .194). There was a greater increase in birth in a health care facility in the intervention area.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Participatory sessions led by community volunteers can increase safe motherhood knowledge and encourage use of essential maternity services.
authors.forename: Janet Molzan
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Turan
authors.forename: Mekonnen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tesfagiorghis
authors.forename: Mary Lake
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Polan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D019017:Eritrea; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration