Knowledge on Supervision, Attitude Towards Supervisory Responsibilities and Factors Affecting Supervision in the Community among Health Assistant Females/Lady Health Visitors (LHV) in Dakshina Kannada District, Karnataka

To assess the knowledge on supervision, attitude towards supervisory responsibilities and factors affecting supervision in the community among Health Assistant Females/Lady Health Visitors (LHV).

A descriptive exploratory design was used. The study was carried out in the primary health centres of selected taluks (Bantwal and Mangalore) of Dakshina Kannada district. The sample comprised of 30 Health Assistant Females/Lady Health Visitors (LHV), selected by convenient sampling technique.

23.34% of the Health Assistant Females/Lady Health Visitors (LHV) had excellent knowledge, 53.32% of them had good knowledge and 23.34% of them had average knowledge on supervision. Majority of the subjects (80%) had neutral attitude towards the supervisory responsibilities. There is a weak positive correlation (r=0.382) between knowledge on supervision and attitude towards supervisory responsibilities among Health Assistant Females/Lady Health Visitors (LHV). The factors affecting supervision in the community by the Health Assistant Females/Lady Health Visitors (LHV) were assessed through a questionnaire. The subjects ranked each factors based on their priority and the prioritized factors based on the ranks were prepared with the application of Garrett's ranking method. The main problems prioritized by the LHV'were lack of accommodation facilities, enormous health programmes, travelling difficulties.

Periodic and proper supervision is needed, to evaluate the effective and efficient health care services delivery to the needy population. Even though it is rendered by the supervisory cadre in the health care system, there is a great need to strengthen it, through periodic training and also by identifying the obstacles that inhibit effective supervision.