Attitudes of Women Towards Utilization of Modern Contraceptives
CHAPTER ONE
Objectives Of Study
In specific, the study intended;
- To outline a trend of women’s modern contraceptive use in the past ten years.
- To assess women’s preference towards modern contraceptive use.
- To identify socio-economic determinants of women’s attitude towards modern contraceptive use.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Theoretical Literature review
The proposed study adapted two theoretical frameworks. The theoretical frameworks used are Theory of Human Behaviour and Couple-Based Theories. These theoretical frameworks have been put forward by Jaccard (2009). The study also surveyed theoretical literature relevant to the study topic.
Theory of Human Behaviour
Theory of Human Behaviour in the study of contraceptive behaviour requires thinking about behaviour on four levels. At the first (proximal) level, the theory starts with a simple proposition: A person’s behaviour is influenced by his or her intention to perform that behaviour. If people intend to do something, they will usually do it, and if they do not intend to do something, they usually will not do it. In fact, however, the relationship between intention and behaviour is complex-people do not always do what they intend to do (Jaccard, 2009).
Sexually active teenagers need access to family planning information and services to prevent unintended pregnancy. (Brindis, 1990; Kirby, 1997). They also need support andencouragement from their peers, adults, and the media to use contraception effectively andconsistently.Though women can understand the use of modern contraceptive methods, they may not take a decision to apply the methods for preventing unnecessary pregnancies. The theory elaborates why this is the case by identifying variables that disrupt the link between intention and behaviour. These include environmental constraints, lack of the knowledge and skills needed to perform the behaviour, forgetting to perform the behaviour and the operation of habits and automatic processes. However, between 85 and 95 percent of sexually active adolescent women who use nomethod become pregnant within one year of initiating intercourse (AlanGuttmacher Institute, 1994).
The second (near-proximal) level of analysis addresses why some people including women intend to perform behaviour and other people do not. Such behaviour in women is their decision to use birth control methods in which modern contraceptives are among the methods (Jaccard, 2009). To change social norms around teen contraceptiveuse, parents must openly discuss responsible and healthy sexual behavior with their young people; peers must encourage and teach each other about the importance of safe, protected sex; and the media must present positive images of sexuality, including messages about responsible sexual behavior, abstinence, and contraception (Brindis and Davis, 1998).
The third (near-distal) level of analysis focuses on more general variables that do not refer to contraceptive behaviour perse, which are personality, values, goals, aspirations, general attitudes, mental health related constructs and alcohol and drug use and other problem behaviours. These variables may as well determine decisions undertaken by women to use or not use modern contraceptive methods as a way of birth control (Jaccard, 2009).
The fourth (distal) level of analysis focuses on the broader contexts in which behaviour occurs and includes such contexts as families, peers, school, work, providers, religion, neighbourhoods, media, government/policy, and the cultural context. Armstrong et al., (1991) argued that counselors should be able address self-esteem, sexual violence, communication skills, risk reduction, contraceptive use and pregnancy.
Figure 1 summarizes the four levels of analysis of individual behaviour on the decision of modern contraceptive use. This diagram should not be interpreted as a path or influence diagram and is only intended to capture the general thrust of the levels of analysis approach described.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The study was conducted using both approaches (qualitative and quantitative method). The study was carried out at one point in time i.e. cross sectional study.
Study Area
The study used Lagos state in Nigeria as the case study. It is the business headquater of nigeria with a population of over 21, million in 2006. Lagos is located in the south west region of Nigeria and is considered one of the largest cities in Africa.
Methods of Data collection
Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used during data collection. Interview as qualitative method was used to capture in-depth information about women’s preference about modern contraceptive use. Quantitative method using structured questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data. Secondary data on attitude of women towards contraceptive use were collected from Ministry of Health and Social welfare.
Sampling Procedure
The study used purposive sampling through Snow-ball technique to obtain 60 women who are modern contraceptive users for birth control and the other 60 women who are non-user of modern contraceptives.
Sample Size
The sample of 120 women was used in the study as a representative of women in the study area. This sample size was obtained through distribution of questionnaires to respondents. The targeted respondents were 160 respondents. The completed forms were 120 respondents which respondent rate is 75%, margin error is 5% and the confidence level is (CI) is 95%.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Background Information of Respondents
The characteristics of respondents are described by identifying the percentage of respondents by age, marital status and education level. Such characteristics have been detailed explained in sub-sections 4.2.1, 4.2.2 and 4.2.3.
Age of respondents
Based on age distribution, most of women participated in the survey ranged 30-44 years (47.5%), followed by those who were at the age of 15-24 years (33.3%) as shown in Figure 3. A small number of respondents constituted women who had above 44 years (19.2%). The minimum and maximum age was 17 and 46 years. The average age was 34 years with a standard deviation 9.59. The age group of women participated in the survey is in accordance with the active reproductive age range of 15-49 years recommended by Ministry of Health and Social Wellfare in Nigeria.
The mean age was 29.4 years with standard deviation of 7.5. The minimum and maximum age was 14 and 51 years. Nair and Navaneetham (n.d) who studied the pattern and determinants of modern contraceptive use in Southern Africa noted that the age distribution of women was highly concentrated in the middle age groups of 20-39 and 30-39 years in all surveyed countries.
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary of Findings
The study assessed determinants of women’s decision on modern contraceptive use in Lagos state. In specific the study determined modern contraceptive use for women in the past ten years; assessed preference of women towards modern contraceptive use; explored socio-economic and institutional determinants which govern women on their decision towards modern contraceptive use.
Trends of women’s modern contraceptive use in the past ten years
A trend of women in using modern contraceptive methods has improved since the number of users has increased by 137% from 20549 women in 2004/2005 to 48647 women in 2013/2014. Therefore, the number of users has almost doubled within this period of 10 years.
Women’s preference towards modern contraceptive use
The preference of women in using modern contraceptive methods was assessed by examining the number of users in each of the surveyed five methods. These contraceptive methods are contraceptive pills, injectable contraceptive drugs, intra-uterine contraceptive devices, condoms and sterilization. Among these methods, contraceptive pills method is mostly (50%) used by women followed by condoms (41.7%). Injectable contraceptive drugs method is used by 23.3% of women, Intra-uterine contraceptive devices method is used by 15% and starilization method is used by 8.3% of women.
Conclusion
The trend of modern contraceptive use has been improving year after year. For instance, the use of modern contraceptive method has almost doubled from the year 2004/2005 to 2013/2014. Women in the study area prefer mostly the use of contraceptive pills and condoms as a way of birth control. Few women prefer either injectable contraceptive drugs, intra-uterine contraceptive devices or sterilization methods.
Various factors have influence on women’s decision towards modern contraceptive use. Socio-economic determinants of modern contraceptive use for women include income of the family, education level of a woman and marital status, partner’s acceptance and women’s desire to have more children. Income, education and partner’s acceptance have significant influence and positive relation with women’s decision on modern contraceptive use. On the other hand, women’s desire to have more children and woman being married are significant and negatively related to modern contraceptive use for women. Distance to the health centres and dispensaries as an institutional factor is significant and negative related to women’s decision to modern contraceptive use.
To conclude, both socio-economic and institutional factors have influence on women’s decision towards modern contraceptive use in the study area.
Recommendations
Basing on the results and conclusion of the study, the following are the recommendations:
- Government and other stakeholders including NGOs should continue educating the community especially women on the importance of using modern contraceptive methods for birth control. This will help to enhance family planning to the community members.
- Awareness creation and sensitization must effectively extended to married individuals on the importance of use of modern contraceptives for birth control and enhancement of reproductive health for women.
- Government in collaboration with community and other development partners is supposed to make an effort in constructing more dispensaries and health centres. This will make health services to be nearby the community and eventually motivate women to attend clinics for birth control.
- The government should make sure that modern contraceptives are provided with no cost or should be sold at a lower price. This will enhance women’s use of modern contraceptives for birth control since it can be much possible for them to afford the cost of contraceptives.
REFERENCES
- Anderson, J. E.& Morris, L. (1980). Determinants of Fertility in Guatemala. Social Biology, Vol.27, No.1, pp.20-35.
- Andersson-Ellström, A., Forssman, L.& Milsom, I. (1996). Age of sexual debut related to life-style and reproductive health factors in a group of Swedish teenage girls. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand, Vol.5, pp.484-489.
- Adams, R. N. (1994). Guatemalan Iadinization and History.The Americas, Vol.1, No.4, pp.527-543.
- Alan Guttmacher Institute (1994). Sex and America’s Teenagers.New York: The Institute.
- Asiimwe, J. B., Ndugya, P. and Mushomi, J. (2013). Socio-demographic factors associated with contraceptive use among young women in comparison with older women in Uganda. DHS working papers, United States Agency for International Development.
- Bertrand, J., Seiber, E. andEscudero, G. (2001).Contraceptive Dynamics in Guatemala: 1978-1998.International Family Planning Perspectives, Vo.27, No3, pp.118-136.
- Beckman, L., Aizenberg, R., Forsythe, A. B. and Day,T. (1983). A Theoretical Analysis of Antecedents of Young couples’ Fertility Decisions and Outcome.Demography, Vol.20, No4, pp. 519-533.
