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Cited by 48Global Health Workforce IssuesGlobal Maternal and Child HealthHealth Policy Implementation Science

Inspiring health worker motivation with supportive supervision: a survey of lady health supervisor motivating factors in rural Pakistan

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Rabbani, Fauziah, Shipton, Leah, Aftab, Wafa, Sangrasi, Kashif, Perveen, Shagufta, Zahidie, Aysha·2016·BMC Health Services Research
DOI 10.1186/s12913-016-1641-xPMC PMC4989332
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Community health worker motivation is an important consideration for improving performance and addressing maternal, newborn, and child health in low and middle-income countries. Therefore, identifying health system interventions that address motivating factors in resource-strained settings is essential. This study is part of a larger implementation research project called Nigraan, which is intervening on supportive supervision in the Lady Health Worker Programme to improve community case management of pneumonia and diarrhea in rural Pakistan. This study explored the motivation of Lady Health Supervisors, a cadre of community health workers, with particular attention to their views on supportive supervision. METHODS: Twenty-nine lady health supervisors enrolled in Nigraan completed open-ended structured surveys with questions exploring factors that affect their motivation. Thematic analysis was conducted using a conceptual framework categorizing motivating factors at individual, community, and health system levels. RESULTS: Supportive supervision, recognition, training, logistics, and salaries are community and health system motivating factors for lady health supervisors. Lady health supervisors are motivated by both their role in providing supportive supervision to lady health workers and by the supervisory support received from their coordinators and managers. Family support, autonomy, and altruism are individual level motivating factors. CONCLUSIONS: Health system factors, including supportive supervision, are crucial to improving lady health supervisor motivation. As health worker motivation influences their performance, evaluating the impact of health system interventions on community health worker motivation is important to improving the effectiveness of community health worker programs.

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Authors
Rabbani, F., Shipton, L., Aftab, W., Sangrasi, K., Perveen, S., & Zahidie, A.
Affiliations
Aga Khan University (PK)
Corresponding author
Rabbani, Fauziah
ORCID
Venue
BMC Health Services Research
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2016-08-17
Volume
16
Issue
1
Pages
397-397
ISSN
1472-6963 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1186/s12913-016-1641-x
PMC
PMC4989332
OpenAlex
W2513676177
Cited by
48
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 3
FWCI
5.18
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • BMC Health Services Research (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • eCommons - AKU (Aga Khan University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
World Health Organization (CH) (MCA00113)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Emergency Medical Services › Global Health Workforce Issues
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Global Maternal and Child Health
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Policy Implementation Science
Keywords
health worker motivation, supportive supervision, community health workers, recognition, training, wages, family support, autonomy, altruism, maternal, newborn and child health, community case management, pneumonia, diarrhea, rural Pakistan
MeSH terms
Attitude of Health Personnel, Child, Community Health Workers, Female, Health Promotion, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Motivation, Pakistan, Surveys and Questionnaires, Residence Characteristics, Rural Health, Salaries and Fringe Benefits, Social Support, Professional Autonomy, Case Management

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