Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Health promotion and health education activities rely on a variety of well designed
and effective printed Information Education Communication materials to help ensure success. However,
in Ethiopia, there is no well established evidence that shows the extent to which printed Information
Education Communication materials are produced distributed, utilized and the existing needs and gaps.
Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the process of printed Information Education
Communication materials production, distribution and utilization and to identify current Information
Education Communication needs and gaps.
METHODS: Cross sectional study combining quantitative and qualitative approaches was conducted at
Federal, Regional (Oromiya), zonal (Jimma) and facility levels. Fourteen health centers within Jimma
Zone were randomly selected and 303 health workers working in these health centers were included in
the study. Purposive sampling technique was used to identify respondents for in-depth interview. The
quantitative data were analyzed by SPSS for windows version 16.0.
RESULTS: The materials designed both by the Health Education Extension Center and Oromiya
Regional Health Bureau were not fully culture sensitive. Information Education Communication
materials inventories had not been practiced, particularly at zonal and health center levels.
Furthermore, at zonal and health center level, there were no safe storage places. Chronic shortage of
Information Education Communication materials was reported consistently. Only 206 (68.0%) of the
participants had ever used printed Information Education Communication material. 146 (48.2%) and 29
(9.6%) of the participants were rated the IEC material they have seen as very good in terms of
understablity and the extent to which it takes the local context into account, respectively. Participants
who were nurse and laboratory technologist were 0.35 and 0.23 times less likely to use IEC materials
than environmental Health experts [AOR=0.35, 95% CI: 0.14-0.85] and [AOR=0.23, 95%CI: 0.07-0.79],
respectively. Graduates of private colleges were 10 times more likely to report utilization of IEC
materials than graduates of government institutions [AOR=10.46, 95% CI: 3.47-31.50].
CONCLUSION: This study revealed that design, production, distribution and utilization of printed
Information Education Communication materials were not in line with the underlying principles of
Information Education Communication material development. Thus, all concerned institutions and
individuals should work towards to improvement.
