Abstract:
The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, opinion and participation among
married, employed males in the areas of household chores (HHC), contraception and child
bearing. The study was conducted in the Kalutara educational zone, among 440 married
men in 47 workplaces using stratified cluster sampling technique. Men's knowledge and
opinion were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. Their participation was
assesses one month before assessing the knowledge and opinion, by interviewing the wives
at their residences. A weighted score developed by a group of experts was used to quantity
the findings. The intervention was using a quasi-experimental study design (randomization
was not performed) in which an IEC programme was given to males in the study group at
their workplaces by PHI while the control group did not receive any intervention. The postintervention assessment was carried out six months after the intervention. There were no
significant differences between study and control groups at the pre-intervention baseline
assessment. The effectiveness of the intervention was assessed by comparing the pre- and
post-intervention scores. After the intervention, there was a significant improvement in the
mean scores of knowledge and opinions in HHC, contraception and child rearing between
the post- and pre-intervention scores in the study group, while the control group did not
show a significant improvement. In participation in HHC, a significant improvement was
observed in the study group, while the control group did not show a significant
improvement in the scores between post- and pre-intervention assessments. These results
clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of the IEC package implemented by PHII in
improving the knowledge and favourable opinions of males in HHC, contraception and
child rearing and, participation in HHC
