Abstract

In order to determine the knowledge of, attitudes to, and practice of housewives toward health care in a rural area, a survey with questionnaire was carried out with 87 housewives who were sampled randomly from 6 villages in Sudong Myun, from April 16th to 21st, 1979. The following results were obtained. 1. Of the housewives studied, 61.5% knew that B.C.G. is a vaccine for T.B. prevention and 12.3% knew that D.P.T. is a vaccine for diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus. 2. The vaccination rate of the children under six-year of the housewives studied was : polio 83.1%, B.C.G. 75.4%, D.P.T. 66.2%, and measles 55.4% respectively. 3. The vaccination rate was higher in children in the area near from the health subcenter than in those of the area further away. 4. Out of 87 respondants, 87.5% knew one or more methods of contraception for spacing children. These were ; loop 69.0%, oral pill 66.7% and condom 14.9% respectively. 5. Out of 87 respondants, 82.2% knew the methods of contraception for sterilization. These were : laparascopy 87.5% and vasectomy 16.9%. 6. Out of 87 respondants those who had experience using contraceptive methods were 70.1% and present users were 47.1%. 7. Contraception practice rate was higher in the group of housewives having middle school education or above than those having primary school education or less. 8. Functions of the health subcenter listed by respondents were : patients care 72.4%, family planning 31.0%, vaccination 23.0%, T.B. control 3.4%, health education 3.4%, infant birth delivery assistance 1.1% respectively. 9. Housewives who knew that there is a village health voluntary worker in their own village were 63.2%(55), and 58.2% of those who knew appreciated her activities. 10. Purpose of expenditure of Myun community health development funds listed by respondents were : aid for patient care 34.5%, aid for health subcenter operation 16.1%, and aid for Myun health development 6.9% respectively. 11. It seems that both of the distance from the health subcenter and the utility rate level of the village health voluntary worker are co-related to the B.C.G. vaccination rate of children. 12. It seems that both of the distance from the health subcenter and the utility rate level of the village health voluntary worker are not co-related to the rate of contraception practice.