The impact of attitude and job related factors on the performance of female health workers in the RCH programme

The Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Programme is a flagship programme of the Government of India, launched in 1997, with the aim of improving the health outcomes of women and children in the country. The programme has a strong focus on community-based interventions, and seeks to empower women and communities to take charge of their own health and well-being. The performance of health workers, particularly Female Health Workers, plays a critical role in the success of Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) programme. The attitude of health workers towards their job also plays a crucial role in determining their performance in the RCH programme. The major objective of the study is to evaluate the impact of attitude and job related factors on the performance of Female Health Workers in RCH programme. The areas selected for the study comprised Thiruvananthapuram District, the capital of Kerala. One hundred Female Health Workers were selected by using Proportionate Stratified Random Sampling method. An attitude scale was developed to assess the attitude and a Job performance scale was constructed for evaluating the performance by their supervisors. The study revealed that the majority of the respondents have a favourable attitude towards their job and RCH programme. Sixty-nine percent of the FHWs were moderate performers as evaluated by their supervisors. Among the five job related variables, only job autonomy and job satisfaction showed significant correlation between the attitude of FHWs.