Author : Leccio, Aladino L.

Summary : The major purpose of the study was to describe the nature, condition, and use of Primary Health Care (PHC) services of the Department of Health (DOH) in Capiz, the Philippines before and during the implementation of RA 7160 known as the Local Government Code of 1991. Specifically, it sought to: 1) describe the demographic, cultural, and economic characteristics of the PHC user households in terms of age, family size, education, religion, occupation, and income; 2) determine the mode of health service use; 3) describe the changes in the institutional and leadership structure, support mechanism, and extent of participation existing in PHC; 4) determine the convergence in the perception of and attitude toward the PHC programs/services among health users, workers, and implementors; 5) determine the PHC users' awareness of and degree of satisfaction in the services; and 6) analyze the factors related to the use of the health services among the PHC users. The study was undertaken in 12 barangays of the six municipalities in the first and second districts of Capiz. It involved 357 PHC user households and 57 key informants composed of Local Government officials. Data were gathered using a structured interview schedule and analyzed using mean, range, frequency count, percentage, standard deviation, and T-test for paired observations. Pearson's R correlation method was used to determine correlations among variables. Results were interpreted at five percent level of significance. Findings revealed that PHC was a strategy in adopting the recommended health practices of households. The predictors of adoption before the devolution were accessibility, frequency of use, information dissemination, awareness and perception of, and degree pf satisfaction in the PHC programs and services. During the devolution, the predictors were sources, accessibility, awareness, and perception of health programs and services. Health services prior to the the devolution were being undertaken by DOH through the Rural Health Unit (RHU).