Influence of Broadcast Media Messages on the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Maternal and Child Health among Reproductive-age Women in South-East Nigeria

The study investigated the influence of the broadcast media on the knowledge, attitude and practice of safe maternal and child health among reproductive-age women in South-East Nigeria. Out of the five states in the South-East region of Nigeria, three states were selected and 385 women of reproductive age were sampled using the multi-stage sampling technique. It was found that reproductive-age women in the South-East relied mostly on television and the radio as primary sources of information on maternal and child health; however, they believed that television was more effective than the radio at spreading these messages. Also, maternal and child health messages were rarely promoted by other radio and television programs apart from talk shows and health programs. It was concluded that proper usage of maternal and child healthcare services could be improved by frequently promoting broadcast media messages through other programs such as news, drama and documentary. It was recommended that helplines/call lines should be properly advertised and made available to women to call in and speak to professional doctors concerning any issues they might have during or after pregnancy.

Keywords: Maternal and child health, Broadcast media, Reproductive-age women, Media message, Nigeria.