Attitude To And Practice Of Modern Family Planning Among Widows Of Reproductive Age

The result generated on the attitude of widows of reproductive age to their possible practice of modern family planning which is negative may enable service providers, health educators and counsellors to develop appropriate health talks to persuade and convince the widows to adopt positive attitude to modern family planning and subsequently use the methods.

Furthermore, the result generated on practice of non-appliance method of family planning among widows of reproductive age which revealed low practices may be useful to service providers, health educators and counsellors in their various places of work. The service providers may use the findings during health talk to step up the practice of non- appliance, while health educators may use the results to organize workshops and  seminars to give correct and adequate information; in order to encourage positive practices of non-appliance method and discourage negative ones. Counsellors may use the findings to guide counselling of their clients.

Similarly, the results obtained on practice of appliance methods of modern family planning among widows of reproductive age revealed both positive and negative practices. The information may be helpful to women, service providers, health educators and counsellors in their various offices. Other women may also become aware of the prevailing appliance methods in practice and tend to use them. The service providers during health talk may use the information to reinforce the use or practice of the methods and also introduce other appliance methods not used by them. It is hoped that health educators will use the information to organize seminars, conferences, workshops and also compose jingles to enlighten the general public on the benefits of practice of appliance methods while discouraging negative practices of the method. The counsellors may use the findings to counsel for positive action with regard to practice of appliance method.

The results generated on the practice of surgical method did not indicate much practice of this method among widows of reproductive age in Logo. Medical doctors may benefit from this finding by using the data to plan for surgical method of family planning. The information on the attitude of young and old widows of reproductive age to modern family planning revealed negative attitude to all the components of modern family planning. The health educators and service providers may benefit from these information. It is hoped that health educators will use the information and target the age

groups that develop negative attitude so as to provide them with correct information that will enable them develop positive attitude to modern family planning even at such ages. The service providers may use the information to give age-appropriate health talk to stimulate positive attitude and discourage negative ones.

Findings on practice of modern family planning among the young and old widows will show the extent to which modern family planning methods have been practised by the young and old widows of reproductive age. Health educators may benefit from these findings by using the data to plan and give age-appropriate family planning education to enhance high level practices.

The result on attitudes of widows of reproductive age to modern family planning based on their parity revealed less positive but much negative attitude. Counsellors and health educators may benefit from these findings. Counselors may use the information to advise widows with negative family planning attitudes to develop positive attitude to modern family planning in spite of the number of children they have, while those with positive attitude will be encouraged to maintain them. Health educators may use the information to plan for focus-groups discussion and family visits to encourage those with positive attitude to family planning and persuade those with negative attitude to adopt positive attitudes to family planning.

Policy makers may benefit from the findings by using the information to make policies that will guarantee high level practice of modern family planning, thus limiting the number of children to a woman and allowing freedom of use of modern family planning for all.

The results generated on widows‟ attitude to modern family planning, on the basis of their level of education, have helped in exposing the negative and positive attitudes of widows of reproductive age with regard to their level of education. Health educators may benefit immensely from these findings by using the information to plan for family planning education that will be appropriate to individual level of education, to enhance positive attitude and discourage negative ones.

Findings on the widows‟ practice of modern family  planning, based on their level of education have helped in revealing the extent to which level of education has affected the practice of modern family planning, among widows of reproductive age. Health

educators, teachers and researchers may benefit from these findings. Health educators may use the findings to plan and give accurate information on practice of modern family planning based on level of education. Teachers may use the findings by identifying practice-gaps to be filled, based on level of education and will guide students, parents and non-teaching staff, on how to improve upon their practice of family planning. Researchers, it is hoped will use the findings as reference material.

Scope of the Study

The study was delimited to Logo Local Government Area (LGA), comprising ten council wards namely, Mbadyul, Mbagber, Mbater, Mbavuur, Mbayam, Nenzev, Tombu, Turan, Ukemberagya/Tswarev and Yonov. The local government located in the North- Eastern part of Benue State is a typical rural local government which is bounded by Wukari Local Government Area in the North, Katsina Ala Local Government Area in the South, Guma Local Government Area in the West and Ukum Local Government Area in the East. The study was concerned with finding out the attitude of widows of reproductive age to and practice of modern family planning. The study was delimited to such modern methods of family planning as pills, injectables, female condom, male condom, Intrauterine Contraceptive Devices (IUCDs) and surgical methods.The demographic factors of age, parity and level of education as they appear to affect attitude to and practice of modern family planning among widows of reproductive age was explored. The study involved only widows of reproductive age in Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.