Factors Influencing the Attitude of Women Towards Family Planning in Nigeria
Chapters One
Purpose of Study
The purpose of this study is to carry out a survey on the influence of education, age, culture, religion, income and health on the attitude of women towards family planning.
CHAPTER TWO
INTRODUCTION
This Chapter should be developed under the following sub titles:
Disposition of childbearing age toward family planning
socio-economic status and women’s attitude toward family planning
Religious affiliation and attitude of woman toward family planning
Cultural norms and attitude of women toward family planning
Effect of educational status on attitude of women toward family planning.
Summary of literature review
The Disposition of Childbearing Age toward Family Planning
Childbearing and contraceptive uses are among the most important reproductive health decision that many have to make (Gertner, 2009). Family decision and the attitude are most likely to meet these decisions based on accurate, relevant information, and are medically appropriate, that is, when they are informed choices (AUSC International, 1998).
Concepts of family planning
Family planning is the planning of when to have and use birth techniques to implement such plans. Other techniques commonly used include sexual education, prevention and management of sexually transmitted diseases, pre-conception counselling, management and infertility management (Olaitan, 2009). However, family planning is usually used as a synonym for the use of birth control. It is most adopted by couples who wish to limit the number of children they want to have and control the timing of pregnancy, also known as spacing of children (Olaitan, 2009).
Family planning may encompass sterilization, as well as pregnancy termination. It also includes raising a child with methods that require significant amount of resources namely: time, social, financial and environmental. Family planning measures are designed to regulate the number and spacing of children within a family, largely to curb population growth and ensure each family has access to limited resources. The first attempt to offer family planning services began with private groups and often aroused strong opposition. Activists, such as Margaret Sanger in the U.S., Marie Stopes in England and Dhanvanthis Rama Rou in India, eventually succeeded in establishing clinics for family planning and health care. Today, many countries have established national policies and encouraged the use of public family services (The United Nations and World Health Organisation offer technical assistance, 2006).
The concept of informed choice in family planning can be applied to a wide range of sexual and reproductive health decisions. It focuses on whether to seek, to avoid pregnancy, whether to space and time one’s childbearing, whether to use contraception, what family methods to be used, and whether or when to continue or switch methods. The term family planning choice could also refer to the family decision making (Diaz et al., 1999).
The principles of informed attitude of women of childbearing age focus on the individual; however, it also influences a range of outside factors such as: social-economic,cultural norms, gender roles, social networks, religious and local beliefs. To a large extent, these community norms determine individual childbearing preferences and sexual and reproductive behaviour. It is usually thought that community and culture affect a person’s attitudes towards family planning, desire for sex of children, preferences about family size, family pressures to have children and whether or not family planning accords with customs and religious beliefs.
CHAPTER THREE
METHOD AND PROCEDURES
This chapter which dead with the method and procedures that guided their study was x-rayed under the following sub headings:
Research design
Study area
Population
Sampling techniques
Sampling
Instrumentation
Validation of the instrument
Reliability of the instrument
Methods of data analysis
Introduction
This chapter deals with the methodology of the study which refers to the general procedure adopted in carrying out this study. The procedure adopted in determining the sample size and method of date collection.
Research Design
This has to do with the specific plan and method adopted in conducting the study.
According to Osuala (2005), research design is likened to the architect’s plans for building. It gives the plan for carrying out the complete framework that gives a guide in collecting and analysing the data for the study.
For the research project the descriptive research method was adopted in conducting the study. This method is chosen for its ability to reveal the cause and or reason for a particular situation, and the survey would be explore for research.
Population of the study
The population of the study consist of all Childbearing Age women in Egor Metropolis of Cross River state; However, the sample size was infinite hence sample size determination to whom the result of this study was generated.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Data presentation
Brief introduction
This chapter deals with presentation, analysis and interpretation of data collection from the field. Answer to question rose in chapter one will be provide in this chapter. There will be evaluation of data collection during the survey as well as testing of the hypotheses.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
The research project was aim at finding out the factors that influence the attitude of woman of childbearing age toward family planning. This research was conducted in chapters to enhance logical arrangement and proper coordination. In order to achieve the aim of the research work five objective of the study were identified, which held to the formulation of five hypotheses respectively as a guide to the study.
There was a review of related literature base on the objective of the study, where opinions and views of selected scholars in relation to the study were sorted out.
In order to determine the simple size, Topman’s formula was adopted by the researcher which gave 195 simple sizes when calculated. While the population of the study comprised of women of Egor Monopolist.
A structured questionnaire with 20 items was used as instrument for the collection of relevant data. The instrument was subjected to validation through the supervisor, and 190 questionnaires were returned. The data collected through the instrument were scored, summarized and analysed using Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient formula, which revealed the following:
Socio-Economic status significantly influence women’s attitude toward family planning. Because different factors affect a person’s personal decisions about what types of family planning method, mostly Nigeria, men are recognised as the head of the family and they take most of the family decisions.
Cultural norms also influence attitude of women toward family planning; which includes: community norms, religious belief and gender role. Community norms also prescribe how much autonomy an individual has in making family planning decisions. The larger the differences in reproductive intentions within a community, the more likely the community norms support individual choices.
Educational status of women, of child bearing age significantly influence women’s attitude on family planning. The higher the level of education, the higher the level of knowledge about contraception: providing effective contraceptive care requires a better understanding of current contraceptive practices within women.
Conclusion
Family planning has been a key issue in the promotion and improvement of reproductive health as well as in population reduction programs. The use of contraception has been associated with declining fertility; improving the health of women and children through birth-spacing and the reduction of the number of pregnancies; as well as increasing women’s empowerment through allowing them to continue their education and join the labour force.
Furthermore, family planning has also been pushed through a reproductive rights framework, as affirmed in the proceedings of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development “Reproductive health therefore implies that people are able to have a satisfying and safe sex life and that they have the capability to reproduce and the freedom to decide if, when and how often to do so. Implicit in this last condition are the right of men and women to be informed and to have access to safe, effective, affordable and acceptable methods of family planning of their choice and the right attitude.
Women’s education, employment, access to and knowledge of contraception have been highlighted as important predictors of fertility and contraception by demographers. Previous studies have shown that couple attitudes towards family planning, fertility desire, and women’s ability to make decisions regarding the use of family planning were important predictors of family planning use.
Some studies indicated that in cases where there was couple disagreement, childbearing was less likely to occur, whereas other studies in India and Nigeria have shown that men’s attitudes played a bigger role in determining actual childbearing behaviour than that of their wives.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Having studied the factors influencing the attitude of women toward family planning among couples in Egor Municipality, the following recommendations were made:
Every couple should be encouraged to visit the family planning service providers so as to enlighten the couples on various family planning choices that will meet their economic status.
Societies and communities should give a couple of advice to their neighbours on the importance of family planning.
Religious leaders should encourage their followers on the needs for family planning as related to their holy book.
Community leaders should discourage the habit of having family planning in their cultural norms.
Federal Government should build Reproductive Health Centres, where family planning education would be given to couples on the choice of family planning for both educated and non-educated couples.
Family planning service providers should educate the couples on the effectiveness of family planning.
Every couple should be discouraged about the thought of health risk of family planning.
Couples with one baby and new couples should be discouraged on the use of the permanent surgical method (vasectomy) of family planning.
Every couple should agree and be involved when making decisions on the choice of family planning.
References:
- Barnett B, Stein J (2001). Women’s voices, women’s lives: The impact of family planning. North Carolina, The women’s studies project.
- Bosveld W (1998). Explaining between country variation in fertility: The theoretical link between individual behaviour and social context. Amsterdan, Post doctorate Onder-Zoekersopleiding Demography (Nethur- Demography Paper No.41), p. 17.
- Diaz M, Jasis MI, Pachauiri S, Pine RN, MI, Ruminjo J, Steele C, Tabbutt Henry J, Widyantoro NS (1999). Informed choice in International Family Planning Service delivery . Strategies for the 21 st Century. New York, AVSC International, 22p.
- Dixon-Mueller R (1993). Population Policy and Women’s right: Transforming reproductive choice. Westport, Connecticut Praeger. 300p.
- Dixon-Muller R (1999). Gender inequalities and reproductive health: Changing priorities in an era of social transformation and globalisation. Belgium, International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (Policy and Research Paper No.16).