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Influence Of Mass Media Awareness To Promotion Of Family Planning Practices
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Lindroos and Lukkainen (2004) contend that Nigeria is a
country where modern family planning usage is one of the lowest in the
world. This may be due to lack of useful information to those who really
need the information as a majority of the Nigerian populace live in the
rural areas where there is poor access to modern means of communication
including the mass media.
Odaman (2005) family planning provides the
society with some socio-economic and health benefits. Awareness of such
benefits can significantly enhance the use of contraceptives, which in
turn, will reduce population growth and overtime have positive effects
on national development.
In this connection, Ugoji (2008) observes
that family planning programs strive to prevent unwanted pregnancies,
help achieve birth spacing and help couples limit family size so as to
reduce maternal/infant mortality. Further, Odaman (2005) enumerates some
of the family planning methods to include the use of safe period,
calendar or rhythm, oral pills, condoms, injectables, intrauterine
devices (IUDs), Norplant and sterilization.
As regards the foregoing
modern methods, Oladeji (2008) contends that communication and decision
making play a vital role in ensuring informed choice of family
planning and reproductive health behavior. Effective
communication/decision making allows people to seek what is best for
their own health and to exercise their right to good quality health care
(Rimal et al.2002). In the same vein, it has been argued that mass
media, especially radio and television have been quite effective in
creating family planning awareness in urban Nigeria. Perhaps, this is
because the urban dwellers have greater access to the mass media.
Raising
a child requires significant amounts or resources: time, social,
financial and environmental planning can help assure that resources are
available. The purpose of family planning is to make sure that any
couple, man, woman who has the desire to have a child has the resources
that are needed in order to complete this goal. With these resources a
couple, man, or women can explore the options of natural birth,
surrogacy, artificial insemination, or adoption. In the other case, if
the person does not wish to have a child at a specific time, they can
investigate the resources that are needed to prevent pregnancy, such as
birth control, contraceptives, or physical protection and predominantly
urban areas, about 90% of all urban house-holds have radios and about
60% own televisions in Nigeria (information, education and
communication, IEC, July 1996) and the likelihood that people living in
urban areas would readily have access to family planning information as
purveyed through radio and television media is high. But to make this
level of family planning awareness effective among the generality of
Nigerians, the mass media should have a hold in the rural areas where a
larger number of people live.
The spread of television and radio, the
rise of an independent press, and increasing literacy rates in many
countries offer new opportunities for family planners and other health
care organizations to inform the public and reach opinion leaders
(piotrow et al 1994). Making the most of these opportunities requires
skill in helping the news media cover family planning. Since 1972, the
average family size in developing countries has dropped from six or
seven children per woman to about three children.
This trend has
saved millions of lives and provided additional benefits to women and
children who when healthy can achieve greater levels of education and
empowerment (International Planned Parenthood Federation, PPF 1992).
Despite
the gain, contraceptive use is still low and needs high usage in some
of the world’s poorest and most populous places, including Nigeria. At
least, three in 10 pregnancies are unintended in some regions, and
millions of couples are still unable to effectively choose the number
and timing of their children.
The use of safe, voluntary
contraception is also accepted worldwide. In 1994, representatives from
179 nations met in Cairo, Egypt at the international conference on
population and development and agreed to provide reproductive health
care to all people by the year 2015 – a goal that called for countries
to ‘meet the family planning needs to their population’ and provide
‘universal access to a full range of safe and reliable family planning
methods’ (Population Reference Bureau, PRB 2004).
Waiting until the
mother is at least 18 years old before trying to have children improves
maternal and child health. Also, if additional children are desired
after a child is born; it is healthier for the mother and the child to
wait at least -1 years after the previous birth before attempting to
conceive (but not more than 5 years). After a miscarriage or abortion,
it is healthier to wait at least 6 months.
When planning a family,
women who are over at least 30 years of age should be aware of the risks
of having a child at that age. Like older men, older women are at
higher risk of having a child with autism and Down syndrome, the chances
of having multiple births increases, which cause further late-pregnancy
risks, they have an increased chance of developing gestational
diabetes, the need for aCaesarian section is greater, older women's
bodies are not as well-suited for delivering a baby.
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]Characteristics, family planning communications campaigns and contraceptive behavior; to examine the relationship between specific media campaigns and family planning methods. Our population and sample size will be from the general public living in Agege Local Government Area and also some selected staff of the secretariat. Evaluation of data collected and seemed to establish relationship withour earlier stated variables in order to draw our inferences. In chapter five, the research work will de ... Continue reading---
