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Hindi Research Article
Assessing Health Needs of the Women of Kolli, Benin: A Participatory Qualitative Study and Recommendations for Academic Medical Missions
Marie-Rose Shoucri1, Rana Annous2 and Marie-Hélène Chomienne3,4*
1Pembroke Regional Hospital, Pembroke, ON, Canada
2Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
3Institute de Recherche de l’Hôpital Montfort, Hôpital Montfort, Ottawa, ON, Canada
4Epidemiology Department and Family Medicine Department, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- *Corresponding Author:
- Marie-Hélène Chomienne
Institut de Recherche de l’Hôpital Montfort
713 Chemin Montréal, Room 2E 120, Ottawa, ON K1K 0T2; Canada
Tel: +1 613 746 4621, extn: 6206
Fax: +1 613 748 4953
E-mail: mh.chomienne@uottawa.ca
Received date: February 11, 2014; Accepted date: March 10, 2014; Published date: March 13, 2014
Citation: Shoucri MR, Annous R, Chomienne MH (2014) Assessing Health Needs of the Women of Kolli, Benin: A Participatory Qualitative Study and Recommendations for Academic Medical Missions. J Community Med Health Educ 4:280. doi:10.4172/2161-0711.1000280
Copyright: © 2014 Shoucri MR, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Background: This study was conducted in the rural village of Kolli, Benin, where Ottawa-based medical trainees participate annually in a medical mission delivering primary care and health promotion activities. Academic international medical electives are often related to students’ training rather than the host community’s health needs. A health needs assessment study is an essential tool to orient medical mission goals toward empowering community members to find solutions to unmet needs. Objective: To evaluate Kolli women’s health needs; to identify solutions to health needs in concert with participants; and to guide future medical missions. Methods: A community-based qualitative participatory study was conducted in November 2011. Data was collected through four focus groups with women-participants and semi-structured interviews with key health informants. Women participants were recruited using a purposive sampling based on mixed age categories. Key health informants were recruited by quota based on their inclusion in sanitary decisions and/or medical contact with women from the community. Results: Women participants (n=55) and key health informants (n=7) identified two main health priorities: 1) lack of family planning and 2) poor access to healthcare. Solutions suggested to address these priorities were mostly in the area of education, including health education sessions aimed at women, men, and health providers. Conclusion: Future mission goals in Kolli, Benin, are to expand its current clinical components to a more community needs-based educational approach. For medical trainees, this represents an excellent training opportunity to develop the key competencies of health advocacy patient-centered communication, and medical expertise.
