Evaluating the effectiveness of utilization of health communication interventions on sexual and reproductive health of the Rohingya women living in Cox’s Bazar refugee camp

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of NGOs' health communication interventions (HCIs) regarding sexual and reproductive health (SRH) among the Rohingya women living in the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. METHODS: A camp-based cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted from November 10, 2019, to January 10, 2020, among 415 Rohingya married women of reproductive age (above 18–49 years) living in the refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. The study participants were selected using a convenient sampling. The independent-sample t-test and hierarchical regression analysis were performed using IBM SPSS version 24.0. RESULTS: Different myths and perceptions of taboo are common among the Rohingya women regarding SRH which imposes some restrictions on them. Of the Rohingya women, 79.8 percent ever had a consultation with non-government organizations' (NGOs) appointed health care providers (doctors/nurses) regarding SRH issues, while only 68.4 percent of them had a door visit by the NGO workers in this regard. Moreover, 62.7 percent participated in NGO’s SRH communication program, whereas three-fourths understood the SRH messages appropriately. However, the study findings reported significant differences (p ≤ .001) in the mean scores of all items related to participants' SRH status for the difference in the utilization level of health communication interventions. Regression analysis shows that the Rohingya women’s utilization of NGOs' health communication interventions appeared as stronger predictors than socioeconomic variables for better SRH status. At the same time, β values indicate that the Rohingya women’s interpersonal communication with a health care provider and understanding the messages of communication activities are reported as the strongest predictors of outcome variables. CONCLUSION: Health communication interventions significantly influence positive changes in women’s SRH. Accordingly, this study recommends strengthening communication interventions using behavioral change theories and strategic communication approaches as it is difficult to change their socioeconomic status in existing settings.