Factors Militating Against Family Planning Amongst Women In Rural Communities

1.3 Research Questions

1. What is the level of knowledge of family planning among women of child-bearing age in rural areas of Imo State?

2. What are the attitudes of rural women of child-bearing age towards family planning?

3. What is the level of use of family planning products/methods and services among rural women of child-bearing age?

4. What are the factors associated with utilization of family planning services among rural women of child-bearing age?

1.4 General and Specific Objectives

1.4.1 General Objective

To assess the determinants of utilization of family planning services among women of child bearing age in rural areas of Imo state, Northern Nigeria.

1.4.2 Specific Objectives

1.4.2.1 To determine the level of knowledge of family planning among women of child-bearing age.

1.4.2.2 To determine the attitudes of rural women of child-bearing age towards family planning.

1.4.2.3 To determine the level of use of family planning products and services among rural women of child-bearing age.

1.4.2.4 To determine the factors associated with utilization of family planning services among women of child-bearing age.

1.5 Scope of the study

The study covered women of child bearing age (15-49 years) residing in Obibe Ezena community, Owerri North, Imo state during the period of 6 months. It determined the knowledge, attitude and factors mitigating against family planning services as well as assessed the determinants of utilization of family planning services.

1.6 Significance of Study

High fertility rate and inadequate spacing between births, can lead to high maternal and infant mortality. An estimated 600 000 maternal deaths occur worldwide each year; the vast majority of these take place in developing countries. WHO estimates that 13% of these deaths are due to unsafe abortion. Worldwide, where approximately 50 million women resort to induced abortion, frequently results in high maternal morbidity and mortality. Thus, family planning and spacing among births are one of the methods to avoid these deaths. Promotion of family planning and contraceptive use is highly adopted by the international community as one of the strategy to reduce the maternal mortality and to reach the Millennium Development Goals. Africa characterized by high rate of lack to contraceptive access reaching 57% and this lack lead to unwanted pregnancies, increased demand to abortion and death related to unsafe abortion.

In Nigeria, there is unaccepted high maternal mortality. Moreover, legally, politically and culturally access to abortion create internal dispute, therefore effective contraceptive programming should be the current and future approach to reduce the risk and unwanted pregnancies. Few published data exist concerning use of family planning services in Nigeria especially northern part where we have recently observed high maternal morbidity and mortality in this setting. This study will educate the public as well as provide literature on the subject matter.

1.6 Limitations

1. Cultural influences and beliefs may hinder the respondents from giving clear responses.

Therefore, research assistants were recruited from these communities in order to respect their culture and to ease acceptance by the community members.

2. Perception by respondents that the interviewers want to impose the idea of contraception use on them may arise. Hence, the research assistants were adequately trained on conducting interviews thereby minimally reducing the chances of perception of contraception imposition among respondents.