Designing and Validating Written Education Material for Family Health Care Workers and Women of Reproductive Age

Author(s):

Ilankoon IMPS*, Goonewardena CSE, Fernandopulle RC and Perera PPR

Background: Written education materials can be used as aids to verbal health education.

Aim: This study aimed to develop and validate written educational materials for an educational intervention on vulvo-vaginal discharge.

Materials and Methods: The design included need assessment, obtaining information through modi ied Delphi technique and validation by subject experts and validating by the Family Health Care Workers (FHCWs) and community participants as stakeholders in terms of understanding the contents of the educational materials. The need assessment phase of the study and the irst round of the Delphi study assisted in generating the low chart, pamphlet and a book on vulvo-vaginal discharge. The Delphi technique introduced modi ications to improve educational materials, with the experts agreeing on the inal materials to be validated by FHCWs and community participants.

Results: The indings of the irst two phases of the study supported the creation of the content of the book, pamphlet and the low chart on vulvovaginal discharge in the third phase. The modi ied Delphi technique and the validation by FHCWs and the community participants assisted in inalizing the educational materials based on the experts' feedback and comprehension assessment of the expected audience.

Conclusion: The book entitled “Vulvo-vaginal discharge: A Guide for Family Health Care workers” was designed to improve the knowledge of the FHCWs and their health education activities in the community setting using the developed low chart and the pamphlet which were targeted for the women of reproductive age in the community.