Peer-reviewed article
Work sampling assessment of ASHA workers in urban and rural field practice areas of a tertiary teaching hospital, Bangalore: A mixed method study.
Shetty SM, Shivarama PD, Venkatesh R, Ashwini M ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study assessed the performance of ASHA workers (community health workers) in urban and rural areas of Bangalore, India. The researchers interviewed 26 female ASHA workers and found they had limited knowledge and poor performance in child health and tuberculosis services, despite many having over a decade of experience. The study suggests ASHA workers need regular training and financial support to better serve their communities.
Key points
- ASHA workers showed poor performance in child health and tuberculosis services despite years of experience
- Most ASHA workers (61.53%) had completed 10th standard education
- 30.76% of ASHA workers had 13 years of work experience
- Study recommends regular reinforcement of knowledge and financial incentives for ASHA workers
- All 26 ASHA workers studied were married women with mean age of 36.5 years
Limitations
The study is small (26 ASHA workers) and limited to one tertiary hospital's service areas in Bangalore, so findings may not generalize to other regions of India. The document does not provide detailed information on specific child health outcomes or the direct impact on children's well-being.
Abstract
Introduction To meet the health demands in urban areas, the cadre of ASHA was created to work as a Community Health Worker (CHW) based in the community, delivering services under various programmes. It is necessary to assess the work profile of the ASHA workers to understand the challenges faced by them and to motivate them to perform their responsibilities effectively and efficiently. Objectives To assess the performance of services delivered by ASHA workers in the Health Care Centres. Methodology The study was conducted in Urban and Rural Health Centre of a Medical College, Bengaluru. In-depth interviews were conducted on 26 ASHA workers to collect information about factors influencing their performance, training, and financial aspects. Data was entered into Microsoft Excel and analysed with SPSS version 22. Quantitative data was expressed using descriptive statistics. For analysis of in-depth interviews, themes were identified and findings were reported by using Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research. Results The mean age of the women was 36.5±5.4 years all were married and of Hindu religion. The majority of the ASHA workers have completed 10th Standard, 16 (61.53%). 30.76% of the ASHA workers had 13 years of experience, though they lacked knowledge and had poor performance in the areas of child health and tuberculosis. Conclusion The need of the hour is to reinforce the ASHA workers with knowledge and financial incentives on a regular basis for the betterment of the society.