Background:

In April and May 2002, telephone surveys were conducted with 2010 married men (aged 15-49) and 2010 married women (aged 15-49). Half lived in rural areas; half lived in an urban area. In addition, 402 health providers were interviewed.

Examples from most recent independent evaluation: March 2003

Access:

27% of respondents had watched the drama. Of those:

• 56% were women and 43% were men
• 70% of the respondents were from urban areas and 30% from rural areas
• 42% watched less than 5 episodes; 16% watched between 5 and 9 episodes; 30% watched 10 to 24 episodes; 3% watched more than 20 episodes; and 9% could not recall how many episodes they had watched
• 54% watched Health Talk sessions.

62% of service providers had seen the drama. 27% of them heard about the drama from their wives, 34% heard about it from their colleagues, and 27% heard about it from their children. 18% of the respondents had watched less than 5 episodes of the drama, 16% of them watched 5 to 9 episodes, and 15% watched 10 to 14 episodes.

Knowledge shifts:

• Two-thirds of viewers could recognise the logos of health centres, as compared to 24% of non-viewers.
• More viewers correctly mention the services available in Smiling Sun clinics. For example, 43% of viewers, as compared to 27% of non-viewers, were aware that these clinics provide general health care services. Twice as many viewers as non-viewers were aware that the clinics offer family planning services.
• More viewers than non-viewers are aware that newborn babies should be given colostrum right after birth. They are also more aware of pre-delivery preparations, and pre- and post-delivery complications. In addition, viewers are more aware that delivery should be performed either by trained birth attendants or doctors.
• Viewers are more aware about the sources of information regarding different diseases and problems among children, and are more aware of the symptoms of pneumonia and polio.
• 69% of viewers, compared to 35% of non-viewers, knew that night blindness is caused by vitamin-A deficiency.
• 43% of viewers stated that they had learned something from the quiz sessions, such as how to take care of pregnant mothers (28%), health-related information (26%), child immunisation (26%), proper care of children (16%), family planning (15%), and Smiling Sun clinics (6%).

Attitudes:

77% of the viewers of the drama said that children who have pneumonia should be taken to doctors, as compared to 74% of non-viewers. Most viewers (87%) believe that Smiling Sun clinics are "an ideal place for family planning and health care services".

Among service providers, 86% said they had learned something from the drama. Among this group, 71% vowed to provide sincere services to patients, 26% vowed to be patient when providing services, 13% vowed to provide proper advice, and 12% vowed to provide services to pregnant women.

Practices:

• More viewers than non-viewers visited clinics and doctors for treatment. Twice as many respondents (14%) who had watched the drama had received services from Smiling Sun clinics than those who had not seen (7%) the drama. 9% of viewers had actually visited a Smiling Sun clinic after being inspired by the drama.
• 93% of viewers and 86% of the non-viewers had given the polio vaccine to their children.
• 70% of viewers had received antenatal care (ANC) services during their last pregnancy, as compared to 48% of non-viewers. 58% of non-viewers, versus 41% of viewers, said they had taken "no preparations" in advance of their last pregnancy.
• Viewers said the show had inspired them to give up bad habits, as follows: untidiness (34%), smoking (20%), rude behaviour toward their wives (13%), going to brothels (7%).
• Slightly more viewers than non-viewers use some type of family planning method.

For full evaluation and more information, contact:

Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs

House 3A, Road 74, Gulshan 2

Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh

Tel.: 880-2-9893362, 9891354

info@bangladesh-ccp.org

Click here to download the full evaluation in PDF format

Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs

Source

Letter sent from Rezwan Alam to the Communication Initiative on July 3 2003; and "Evaluation of Smiling Sun Campaign" [PDF]; and Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs website.

Click here to access a related peer-reviewed summary "Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs" on the Health e Communication website, and to participate in peer review.

Click here to access a related peer-reviewed summary "Evaluation of the Smiling Sun Campaign" on the Health e Communication website, and to participate in peer review.