Agent Characteristics and Productivity in the Mexican Rural Health Program

Analyses of numbers of family planning, prenatal, and child care acceptors in the Mexican community-based rural health program revealed that the most productive supervisors and community agents tended to be older, married women with one or more children. Additionally, contraceptive use and knowledge of midwifery were positively related to productivity. In light of these and other findings, the "homophily principle" proposed by Rogers is discussed.