Abstract: This booklet seeks to provide to newly wed couples important health information related to the first stage of marriage. It covers the steps needed to prepare for pregnancy, delivery, and caring for children through the breastfeeding stage. It also provides space for the parents to record key dates and facts about both the mother's health and that of her child.
Notes: This pamphlet was created under the "Communication for Healthy Living (CHL)" project. Communication for Healthy Living (CHL) is the principal SO 20 vehicle for affecting broad scale behavior change and building sustained capacity within the public and private sectors to design and implement strategic communication programs. The objectives of the program are to provide cross-cutting communication support... more
Notes: This pamphlet was created under the "Communication for Healthy Living (CHL)" project. Communication for Healthy Living (CHL) is the principal SO 20 vehicle for affecting broad scale behavior change and building sustained capacity within the public and private sectors to design and implement strategic communication programs. The objectives of the program are to provide cross-cutting communication support to achieve health impact, specifically in the areas of: Family planning and reproductive health, maternal and child health, infectious disease control, healthy lifestyles and practices responding to health reform; and to develop institutional, technical, financial and demand sustainability for health communication programs in the public, NGO and commercial sectors.|USAID/Egypt's Strategic Objective (SO) 20, "Healthier, Planned Families," will contribute to the Government of Egypt's (GOE) efforts to reduce population growth, promote infection prevention practices, reduce maternal and child mortality, especially among the poor and vulnerable, as well as promote healthy lifestyles and advance health sector reform. As the fifth and final planned health and population program between USAID and the GOE, sustainability is of prime importance. less
Behavior Change Theories: Social Learning, Theory of Reasoned Action or Theory of Planned Behavior, Social Norms, Positive Deviance
Formative Research: The American University in Cairo in collaboration with Communication for Healthy Living (CHL) conducted research to identity what people need to know and explore their preferred channels of communication. The target population of this research was young married couples in Minya due to the special emphasis placed by CHL on this age cohort in society and their previous work in Minya. Young married people... more
Formative Research: The American University in Cairo in collaboration with Communication for Healthy Living (CHL) conducted research to identity what people need to know and explore their preferred channels of communication. The target population of this research was young married couples in Minya due to the special emphasis placed by CHL on this age cohort in society and their previous work in Minya. Young married people have not been through the experience yet and it is useful to prepare them for the new phase of their life. The outcome of this research project can be considered a guide for health communicators designing and disseminating health messages aimed at young married Egyptians with little knowledge in regard to the following five health areas - family planning and reproductive health, maternal and child health, infectious disease, healthy lifestyles, and practices in support of health reform. less
Pretesting: Pretesting was condcuted for the Mabrouk booklet in order to insure that the messages would be clearly understood, and communicated in a way that was culturally relevant for the intended audiences. The Primary audiences (Clients/Consumers) of this booklet are young married men and women, especially newlyweds and their extended family and friends of young couples. Secondary audiences are health service... more
Pretesting: Pretesting was condcuted for the Mabrouk booklet in order to insure that the messages would be clearly understood, and communicated in a way that was culturally relevant for the intended audiences. The Primary audiences (Clients/Consumers) of this booklet are young married men and women, especially newlyweds and their extended family and friends of young couples. Secondary audiences are health service providers (public and private) and health outreach workers.|Information about the pretesting strategy for the Mabrouk booklet less
Pretesting Links:
Information about the pretesting strategy for the Mabrouk booklet
Information about the results of the pretest for the Mabrouk booklet
Summative Evaluation: The Mabrouk! booklet was distributed to newlywed couples throughout Egypt by health outreach workers, maazouns (muslim marriage registrars) and priests. Several hundred thousand copies have also been distributed as inserts in popular magazines and at CHL Newlywed Celebration publicity events. Newlywed Celebrations are lively events, based on an Egyptian custom of group wedding receptions, where the... more
Summative Evaluation: The Mabrouk! booklet was distributed to newlywed couples throughout Egypt by health outreach workers, maazouns (muslim marriage registrars) and priests. Several hundred thousand copies have also been distributed as inserts in popular magazines and at CHL Newlywed Celebration publicity events. Newlywed Celebrations are lively events, based on an Egyptian custom of group wedding receptions, where the families and friends of multiple newlywed couples join in one large event and share in the festivities—and costs. An evening dinner and social event, held in December 2005, brought together 63 of the 150 couples who had participated in the first Newlywed Celebration held in El Minya governorate in September 2004. The CHL project has continued to engage these couples in village-level health interventions as they begin their family life. The room was filled with beaming parents holding their healthy first-born children, as well as couples preparing for their first child. The governor expressed his pride in the young couples for being healthy role models. Magdy Fouad of Upper Egypt's Channel 7 MC'ed the events, interacting with the young couples with quizzes and prizes based on the Mabrouk! booklet. Mr. Fouad is producing a one-hour show featuring couples that are a part of this initiative, as is Youth and Sports Radio. When a young couple was asked if they were using the Mabrouk! booklet, the wife replied, "Using it? We're living it!" The booklet continues to be in high demand around the country, and is proving to be a valuable tool in attracting sponsors interested in reaching the same target audience. Research among users has clearly shown that women exposed to the Mabrouk! booklet are more likely to have positive family planning and family health attitudes and intentions. less
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