Using Young Mothers’ Clubs to Improve Knowledge of Postpartum Hemorrhage and Family Planning in Informal Settlements in Nairobi, Kenya

Women living in Nairobi’s informal settlements face a higher risk of maternal death than those living elsewhere in the country, and have limited knowledge of actions they can take to improve their chances of survival during pregnancy and childbirth. As one strategy to reach this high risk group, Jhpiego has implemented young mothers’ clubs (YMCs). These clubs comprise mothers aged 18–30 who come together on a weekly basis to share experiences and solutions to their challenges while receiving health education from health facility staff and community health workers (CHWs). The aim of this study was to assess whether the YMC strategy could be used to improve participants’ knowledge of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), positive behavior around childbirth, and family planning. Participants in nine YMCs (n = 193) across four informal settlements were interviewed to assess their knowledge of safe motherhood topics before and after a series of eight health education sessions. Data were analyzed with the McNemar test to determine significance of change in knowledge pre- and post-intervention. The largest improvements were observed in knowledge about what to include in a birth plan, with correct responses increasing from 32 to 73 % (p < 0.001), 58–93 % (p < 0.001), 36–66 % (p < 0.001), 58–85 % (p < 0.001), and 64–88 % (p < 0.001) for identifying a birth companion, budget, skilled birth attendant, emergency supplies, and place of birth, respectively. Less substantial improvements were observed in knowledge of danger signs of PPH (up 10 % from 77 %, p = 0.003). Although knowledge of actions to take in the event of bleeding after delivery did significantly improve, final knowledge scores remained low—knowledge to urinate increased from 14 to 28 % (p < 0.001) and to breastfeed from 12 to 24 % (p = 0.005). Even though the vast majority of respondents (84 %) knew before the intervention that a woman should space pregnancy by at least 2 years after delivery, there was an increase to 94 % after the sessions (p = 0.008). Overall, participants demonstrated significant improvements in knowledge of safe motherhood and family planning topics, suggesting that the materials and methods used were generally effective for improving knowledge among this high risk group.