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INFLUENCE OF FAMILY PLANNING ON FAMILIES IN ISIALA
MBANO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF IMO STATE:
IMPLICATION FOR COUNSELLING.
BY
EBIZIE, ELIZABETH NKECHI
PG/M.ED/06/41083
THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS
UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT
OF THE AWARD OF MASTERS DEGREE IN EDUCATION (GUIDANCE
AND COUNSELING)
SUPERVISOR: DR. P.N. ONWUASOANYA
DECEMBER, 2008
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TITLE PAGE
INFLUENCE OF FAMILY PLANNING ON FAMILIES IN ISIALA
MBANO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF IMO STATE:
IMPLICATION FOR COUNSELLING.
BY
EBIZIE, ELIZABETH NKECHI
PG/M.ED/06/41083
THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS
UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT
OF THE AWARD OF MASTERS DEGREE IN EDUCATION
(GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING)
DECEMBER, 2008
3
CERTIFICATION
Ebizie, Elizabeth Nkechi, a postgraduate student in the Department of
Educational Foundations with Registration number pg/m.ed/061/41083 has
satisfactorily completed the requirement for course work, and research work for
the Masers degree in Guidance and Counselling in the department of Educational
Foundations.
This work embodied in this project is original and has not been submitted in
part or full for any other diploma or degree of this or any other university.
Signed
________________________
DR. P.N. ONWUASOANYA
SUPERVISOR
___________________
EBIZIE ELIZABETH
STUDENT
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DEDICATION
This work is dedicated to the Almighty God for his countless mercies upon me.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The researcher uses this opportunity to express her profound gratitude to the
Almighty God whose divine Grace sustained and guided me throughout the
duration of my study.
Specifically, the researcher wish to express her gratitude to his supervisor
Dr. P.N. Onwuasoanya whose self-sacrifice, wisdom and immeasurable inputs
made the successful completion of this work. My appreciation also goes to my
lecturers Prof. Ike C. Ifelunni, Dr. .J.C. Omeje, Dr. A.U. Okere and Dr. Mrs. J.
Anyanwu for their support and encouragement
My sincere appreciation also goes to my husband for his consistent
encouragement and financial assistance, all of which served as morale booster
towards the completion of this work. Worthy of mentioning too are my children
for their love, patience and confidence. To my brothers, sisters and my sister inlaw, I say a big thank you for their morale support.
Finally, but definitely not the least, the researcher express her continuous
appreciation to my parents especially my late father Mr. C.O. Ogbodo and my
mother Mrs. P.O. Ogbodo who immensely believed in equal educational
opportunity for both male and female.
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TABLE OF CONTENT
Title page
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Approval page
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Certification -
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Acknowledgement -
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Table of continent -
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Abstract
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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the study -
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Statement of the problem -
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Purpose of the study
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Significance of the study -
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Scope of the study -
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Research Question -
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Research Hypotheses
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CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Conceptual framework
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Theoretical framework
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Related Empirical Studies
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Summary of the Review of literature -
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CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHOD
Design of the study
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Area of the study -
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Population of the study -
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Sample and sampling Technique
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Instrument for Data Collection -
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Validation of instrument -
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Reliability of Instrument -
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Method for Data Collection
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Method of Data Analysis -
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CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS
Research Question 1
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Research Question 2
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Research Question 3
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Research Question 4
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Hypothesis 1
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Hypothesis 2
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Summary of major findings
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
Discussion of study
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Hypothesis 1
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Hypothesis 2
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Educational Implication -
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Recommendations -
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Limitation of the study
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Summary for further study
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References -
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Appendix 1 -
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ABSTRACT
This study investigated the influence of family planning in Isiala Mbano of Imo
State. The study sought answers to four research questions and two hypotheses.
The population of the study consisted of all families in tall the 12 communities that
made up Isiala Mbano local government area of Imo state. 240 families were
sampled using the simple random sampling technique. Questionnaire was the
major instrument for data collection. Data collected were analysed using mean
scores, while t-test statistics was employed in testing the hypotheses. Based on the
analysis, the following major findings were made.
i.
There is a high level of awareness on family planning method within their
various communities.
ii.
Most parents accepted family planning method within their various
communities.
iii.
Most parents do not embrace the use of condom and implantation methods.
However, parents accept injectable based on doctor’s advice, that pills prevent
pregnancy, also that traditional family planning method is cheaper and safer than
the new modern method, and lastly that use of contraceptives have no side effect
on reproductive system.
iv.
Finally, the result show that family planning helps to encourage child
spacing among couples during their reproductive years, some religion upholds
family planning because it serves as a means of disciplining some promiscuous
individuals and that family planning helps couples to enjoy their sexual life after
giving birth to the number of children they want. Based on the findings,
recommendations and suggestions for further research were made.
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Population increase has become a thing of great concern for economic
planners, demographers and even government agents. As world population moves
towards 5.9 billions, the per capital production of money basic commodities is
falling, for instance the recent global food shortage is an evidence. (Population
Report, 2006). The effort to raise incomes and living standard is falling in many
countries like Nigeria, particularly where population is growing most rapidly and
where family planning is not fully practiced.
In the seventies, our country enjoyed the oil boom and having a large
family, did not bring any economic burden to parents because things were
relatively cheaper and easy to come by. There was little or no psychological stress
about caring for children. Many parents stuck to the traditional belief of having
many children because culturally, having many children prove how wealthy a man
is. More also many men prefer to have large families that cold help them in
farming.
The current realization that large population can hold back socio-economic
development and health for all programmes has led to the quest for information on
family planning and other related reproductive health problems in Nigeria.
Planned Parenthood programmes have become necessary in Nigeria because of the
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prevailing socio-economy and psychological factors that affect both parents and
children.
However, in recent years economic situations changed and caring for
children brings both psychological and economic strains on both parents and
children. Therefore, there is need for family planning either traditional or the
newly introduced modern methods to curtail the trend. The traditional method
include prolonged breast feeding, post partum, the use of ring, waist band, wooden
doll, the use of black soap and salt to be dissolved and taken immediately after
sex. The above mentioned methods are commonly practiced on the Yoruba’s. on
the other hand, the new modern method emphasized the use of contraceptive such
as pill, IUCD (Intrauteri9ne Contraceptive Device), condom, implant, and
vasectomy. For clarification, the new modern method is broken down into three
categories, which includes Temporary modern methods examples are pills,
injectable, condom. Permanent new modern method examples are vasectomy,
tubectomy and Natural methods which involves withdrawal method and rhythm
(Ayeni, 2002).
Family planning is a way of maintaining reasonable interval in childbearing
practice. That is letting a woman rest after giving the first birth before another
birth. Family planning also embraces a way of preventing unwanted pregnancy,
and a means of sexual gratification. Nwangoro (1999) defined that family planning
is an organized effort to assist people to have the number of children they want
and to space them as they choose. In addition, family planning is available to help
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individuals and couples to choose if and when they will have a child or to choose
the number of children that they will have. The choices depend on a complicated
mixture of social, cultural and psychological influences; and lately for the first
time in history, men and women have had reliable methods to enable them to make
that choice freely and relatively easily.
This principle of choice is important as it includes not only the choice of
using family planning, but the choice of the birth control method most suited to the
particular circumstance of the couple. But neither the man nor the woman can
make an informed choice until each has a basic knowledge of the different
methods, their efficiency in protection against pregnancy and their advantages and
disadvantages. The choice maybe that the man uses contraceptive measures; or
that the woman chooses the contraceptive. Both should know of the available
method so that the decision is made carefully. The choice is helped if each partner
has an idea of how efficient the method chosen is in an unwanted pregnancy. On
the other hands, family planning involved the use of contraceptive control in
limiting or spacing out pregnancies either for socio-economic health, or population
control purposes.
The benefits of family planning cannot be over emphasized because they go
a long way in helping individuals, parents, children, communities and government
in the area of health, education of children, and social economic and political
development of the society. For these reasons, government, non-governmental
organizations and individuals have found it necessary to introduce family planning
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Programmes at federal, state, local and community levels and Isiala Mbano in Imo
State in Okigwe senatorial zone is not left out. The local government is made up of
semi urban and rural areas namely; Amaraku, Amauzari, Anara, Eziama, Ibeme,
Obollo, Ogbor, Umuduru, Umunkwo, Ugiri, Umuneke and Umuozu
The population of the people is about ten thousand five hundred (2006
census figure from National Population Commission Office, Isiala Mbano Local
Government Council Imo State). The local government has a wide range able
land. For this reason; the major occupation of the people is farming. Due to the
nature of their occupation, most men prefer to have a large family that will assist
them in their farming and this had led to high population in the area. On the other
hand, most of the women prefer to go into marriage rather than going to school.
This is to a large extent affects the level of literacy among the people. It is only
those in the semi-urban areas of the local government who have little interest in
education and they prefer to send their children to school instead of engaging hem
in early marriage. In view of the above discussion, the location levels of literacy to
a large extent have impact on the level of awareness to family planning
programme among the people.
Family planning was introduced to this country at a time when such need
was of paramount importance. It was to bring both psychological and economic
relief to families. Interestingly, government and other non-governmental agencies
have put in much effort to bring the knowledge about family planning to the
people through advertisement on Television, Radio and other media. For instance,
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in 1987, the Imo State Commissioner for Health stated that there should be
increased public enlightenment campaign to educate parents on the need for them
to make use of public health facilities particularly those concerning birth control.
This connotes request for contraceptive device as prevention of unwanted
pregnancy through provision of contraceptive as outlets that will be accessible to
families. On this note, if family planning education is adopted, the problem of
population explosion will be minimized. This should not be seen as divorcing
sexual act from procreation. Family planning should be geared towards changing
people’s attitude to family size. However, people’s attitude are to a large extent
influenced by social and cultural condition of the environment as well as their
views on the importance of children and their own need as status aspiration.
The applications of family planning method have a significant advantage to
maintain in the area of health social economic and political endeavours, therefore
should be a continuous process. Maine (1991), opined that family planning should
be encouraged for its advantages on the entire society because the advantages
derived from family planning are numerous.
However, opposition to family planning was rational to the physicians. This
was because they saw family planning as writing with one hand and erasing with
he other, in this case they support family planning as a means of minimizing the
problems posed by illegal abortion and abandonment of babies.
People who suggest family planning see it as he best thing parents can do
for themselves and for their children. Akingba (1994) believes that it is
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Unreasonable to bring more children into the world than a couple can afford to
maintain well. A couple should produce only the number of children that their
circumstances in life permit them to feed, cloths, educate and generally look after
properly in sickness and in health.
Another writer, Feuerstein (1991), stressed the necessity of family planning.
According to her the major causes of increasing death o women at child birth
seems to be “lack of self-discipline, poor spacing of birth and general disregard for
simple health principles”. The result of pregnancies in quick succession is a worn
out, easily tired, and poorly nourished young woman looking many years older
than her real age. These states make one an easy prey to illness.
The effort of government and other agencies on this issue has to be
complimented by counselors through thorough education of the people, especially
at the local level where much will be achieved in securing better family units
through well-planned child rearing habits.
Statement of the Problem
The world population is increasing in geometric rate; government can no
longer meet up with the demand of their citizens. This has resulted to global food
shortage. Having many children is really a great burden that tends to drain the
financial resources of standard of living and bring about economic hardship. Most
parents with large families find it difficult to provide the basic need of their
children such as food, shelter health and education for the family. This tends to
bring psychological and emotional stress on most parents.
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Family planning is the practice of exercising choice about the arrival of the child
into the family, taking into consideration the mother’s health, welfare or the
children, family happiness and all the prevailing economic circumstances. Family
planning encourages couples to have those children that they can properly and
adequately carter for. Also family planning involves child spacing and child
rearing practice.
On this backdrop therefore, the problem of this study pose as question, is
what are the influence of family planning on families in Isiala Mbano Local
Government Area of Imo State.
Purpose of the Study
The general purpose of this study was to find out the influence of Family
Planning on families in Isiala Mbano L.G.A of Imo State. Specifically, the study
was set out:
1.
To determine the level of awareness the people have on family planning
programmes.
2.
To ascertain the level of acceptance the people derive on family
planning.
3.
To find out the most effective family planning methods embraced by the
people of Isiala Mbano.
4.
To ascertain the influence of family planning on parents reproductive
behaviour.
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Significance of the Study
This study which investigated the influence of family planning is immensely
significance to the parents, government, non-governmental organization, health
workers, as well as family guidance counselors.
The benefit of family planning cannot be over-emphasized because they go
a long way in helping parents, their children, and education of the children and
also enhanced the socio-economic and political development of the society. For
these reasons, government, non-governmental organization have found it
necessary to introduce family planning at both Federal, State and Local
Government
levels to maintain good health, socio-economic and political
endeavours.
However, guidance counselor will benefit from this study since it beholds
on them to inform the public, parents as well as society on the importance of
family planning. Family guidance counselor gives information related to child
spacing and likewise encourage on the number of children one can carter for.
Since government and other agencies had made effort to control the
situation, the researcher was therefore interested in the influence of family
planning on he families of Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State. The
study will therefore help parents, health workers and most specifically guidance
counselors to know the right steps to take in creating awareness on the appropriate
method of family planning that is good for different individual and society at large.
Theoretically, the study will add to the body of knowledge in the step that had
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been taken so far in the implementation of family planning. This body of
knowledge will be disseminated through publication in journals, workshop,
conferences and seminars.
Scope of the study
This study covered the entire communities of Isiala Mbano Local
government Area of Imo State. The study was limited to the response of the
existing families in the entire communities towards family planning.
The Isiala Mbano Local Government Area consists of twelve communities
namely:
Amaraku, Amauzari, Anara, Eziama, Ibeme, Obollo, Ogbor, Umuduru, Umunkwo,
Ugiri, Umuneke and Umuozu. In addition, the study focused on the level of
awareness, level of acceptance of family planning by the people, method of family
planning mostly embraced by the people and the impact of family planning o nthe
people’s reproductive behaviour.
Research Questions
In pursuance of purpose of the study, the researcher sought answer to the
following research questions.
1.
What is the level awareness on Family Planning among the people in the
community?
2.
What is the level of acceptance of the people towards family planning?
3.
Which of these family planning methods do people actually embrace
mostly?
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4.
What influence does family planning have on the reproductive behaviour
of parents in the community?
Hypotheses
This study sought to test the following hypotheses:
HO1: There was no significant difference in the mean scores of the level of
awareness on family planning methods, between the families in semi-urban and
those in the rural areas.
HO2: There was no significant difference in the mean scores of the level of
acceptance of new modern method of family planning between families on rural
areas and those in semi-urban areas.
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CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
The review of related is presented under the following sub-headings:
Conceptual framework
• Concept of family
• Concept of family planning
• Methods of family planning
• Benefits of family planning
• The role of education in family planning
• Implication for counselling
Theoretical framework
• Health belief model by Rosen Stock et al
• Theory of reasoned action by Fish Bein and Ajzen
Empirical Study
Summary of the review
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Concept of Family
There is not one universally accepted definition of family, and it is no likely
that we will progress towards one soon. Any of the many definitions has its
district advantages, disadvantages and implications. We have the structural
definition which defines family by form, that is who is in the family and by what
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objective means they are connected (e.g marriage, blood, adoption). The second is
the task orientation that defines family by function. The transaction: it concentrates
on the task performed and expected family function. The transactional view
addresses the issued of interaction – the communication process that connect
individuals as family members and show how communication constitutes family.
Structural definitions layout specific criteria that make clear who is in the
family and who is not. Structural definitions do not depend on the quality of
interaction or t task performance and they are not dependent on subjective feeling
of identity or affection. Rather they define family by form. According to
Popenoe’s definition, family is relatively small domestic group of kin (or in kinlike relationship-consisting of at least one adult and one dependent person.
Popenoe (1993). This definition implies that family shares a household and that a
dependent who is related by blood (or a blood-like relationship, as in the case of
adoption must be present. The implication of these definitions that a sexual bond is
not necessary or sufficient to form a family and it does bit consider a married or
cohabitating couple a family. However, a single parent who lives with one or more
dependents is considered a family.
The U.S Census Bureau (2002) or Segrin and Flora (2005) also defines
family generally, but takes more broad approach and disregards the necessity of a
dependent. According to the U.S Census Bureau, family is a group of two or more
people related by birth marriage, or adoption and residing together (in a
household). The implication is that as long as the individuals are related by blood r
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law and live together, they were considered family. This further implied that two
brothers, two cousins or an adult mother with daughter who live together fit this
definition of family.
Pope John Paul II defined family as community of persons and the smallest
social unit John Paul II (1994). He went further to say that family, as a community
of person is thus the first human society. It arise wherever there comes into being
the conjugation of marriage which opens the spouses to lasting communion of love
and of life and it is brought to completion in full and specific way with the
procreation of children. The communion of the spouses gives rise to community of
the family.
On the origin human family His Holiness said that it is through the
communion of persons which occurs in marriage, a man and woman begin a
family. Bound up with the family is the genealogy of every individual, Gbuji
(1998) accepted that family originated from the marriage of a man and a woman
and stated that marriage forms the basis of the family which itself is properly
regarded as the foundation of all ordered society.
Concept of Family Planning
Different opinions have been postulated about the concept of family
planning. Multifarious definition have been offered for the concept for instance,
Hoberaft (2000), sees it as the practice of exercising choice about the arrival of the
child into the family, taking into consideration, the mother’s health, welfare of the
children, family happiness and all other prevailing economic circumstances. He
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explained further that such plans encourage couples to have only those children
that they can properly and adequately cater for especially as at such a time when
family is ready for them, that is every child should be wanted by choice and not
chance.
Nwangoro (1999) sees family planning as involving child-spacing. He goes
further that well-spaced child-rearing practice helps women to maintain good
health in them and in their children. The overall essence of family planning
therefore seems to be the control of family population and invariable too, the
population of the nation so as to avoid unwanted children.
According to the economic postulation of Malthus (1798), many countries
are today experiencing population explosion that makes the available social
infrastructures very much deficient for the people. Food supplies to such
population have become bug and unsolvable problems to the indigenous
government who mostly have resort to sealing foreign aids from international
organization such as UNICEF, UNO, etc. nation like china, India and many more
with the third world grapple with endemic problem. It is true that some other
countries share their food shortage experience not because of their own self-styled
over population problem, but because of famine, draught, flooding and refuge
influx from war-torn neighbouring countries such as Rwanda, Uganda, Liberia and
Ethiopia.
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The Nigeria situation however, seems as varied since it bothers solely on the
economic down-turn of the nation which relies mainly on proceeds from oil sales
that presently face drastic price-cuts at the international market. The lack of money
to face capital projects also undermines the generation of employment
opportunities for people. It also affects all other facets of the Nigerian nation’s life
in the area of commence, health, agriculture, education and others. On the face of
this reality where the means of livelihood of the citizens continue to dwell
(dwindle) on daily basis, it is therefore no gain saying that caring for the living
should be paramount and upper-most in the mind of parents rather than a further
venturing into the baby-making engineering which will end the family in a one
square mean per-day type of survival. Well-planned families therefore appear to be
very plausible solution to the ugly development.
History of Family Planning
For quite some time in the past, the issue of family planning was observed
secretly and not for public consumption, particularly in this part of the world
where the too predominant religions tend to frown at its discussion in public.
Today, however, opinions about this have changed. According to Nwangoro
(1999), family planning started in the U.S.A with nurse, Margaret Sanger (18761966), who fought a very courageous crusade against the legal system of America.
She coined that phrase “Birth control” and set up a clinic for it propagation in
1916.
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The Family Planning Council of Nigeria (FPCN), later called Planned
Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN), was established in 1964 by some
concerned private individuals towards checking the rampant phenomenon of
“child-ladies”. Such unwanted pregnancies resulted in criminal abortions that were
of concern to the government. In 1957, the rampancy of abortion cases caught the
attention of the Marriage Guidance Council in Lagos. Later development made the
federal government to establish family planning services and clinics with funds
coming from the Pathfinder fund, Population Council and the International
Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) prior to the establishment of the clinics,
records had it that Miss Edith Cate of the Pathfinder fund of U.S.A visited Nigeria
in 1962 and not with the Nation Council of Women’s Societies (NOWS).
A family planning committee was consequently set up charged with the
responsibilities for family planning activities and marriage counseling. It was the
committee that metamorphosed into (F.P.C.N) Family Planning Council of Nigeria
and later Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (P.P.F.N). Although, family
planning appears to be a relatively young area of study, it had long existed since
the discovery that many girls of school age were losing their live through
premature and unwanted pregnancies (Nwangoro, 1999). The phenomenon still
remains till date; it has however stopped being news to any one.; Today, the
awareness that a large and uncontrolled population is a bane to socio-economic
growth of the nation as well as the health of the citizenry has generated the quest
for planned families and concerns of government to maintain it (Deleno, 1985).
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Methods of Family Planning
There are two well known method of family planning. These include:
(i)
The traditional methods
(ii)
The new modern methods
Traditional Methods of Family Planning
According to Ayeni (1999), the traditional methods of controlling family
size were practiced as far back as history could tell. This has been confirmed by
the display of these methods side by side with newly introduced modern methods.
These traditional methods include prolonged breast feeding, post partum
abstinence, the use of ring, waist band, “blue” (a chemical substance dissolved in
water for drinking immediately after sex to prevent pregnancy and for abortion),
hair pin (for women) feather (attached to hair during sex), salt ( to be dissolved
and taken immediately after sex), padlock (which is opened and attached to the
body during sex), broom (a small gourd with medicine inside, to be taken after se)
and the use of black soap. The uses of various objects are sometimes accompanied
by incantation and divination. These methods are also associated with some
taboos. Any violation of the taboo associated to these methods will render them
ineffective. Civilization and modernization have however helped in putting behind
many of the traditional methods replace with modern methods particularly in
African cities.
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New Modern Methods
According to National Research Council (2000) and Mandani (1999), they
highlighted that the new modern methods of family planning is categorized into
three types. These include.
i.
Temporary family planning methods
ii.
Permanent family planning methods
iii.
Natural family planning methods
i.
Temporary family planning methods: These are methods that couples can
use to delay pregnancy and space their children as they wish. They can stop using
them when they want to have a child. Examples are:
(A). IUCD (Intrauterine Contraceptive Device): This device is chosen by some
women who want to avoid pregnancy. It is placed inside the uterus.
(b).
Pills: These are oral contraceptive which helps to reduce the fertility rate in
women with ease and little upset. A women taking oral contraceptives is unlikely
to have dysmenorrheal, her menstrual flow will reduce (which in turn helps to
prevent anemia) and she is likely to have a reduce amount of premenstrual tension.
(c).
The Injectable: The injectable is an injection of a hormone give to a
women to prevent her ovaries from releasing an egg for some monthsn. This
prevents pregnancy. There are two commonly used injecable: DEPO-PROVERA
(DOPA) given every three months and Noristerart (NE-EN) given every two
months.
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(d).
Implant: Implant system is a set of 6 small, plastic capsules. Each capsule
is about the size of a small match stick. The capsules are placed under the skin of
a woman’s upper arm. A set of implant capsules can prevent pregnancy for at least
5 years. It may prove to be effective longer.
(e). The condom: A condom is a close-fitting thin rubber that a man wears over
his erect penis during sexual intercourse to hold sperm. Condoms help prevent
both pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease (STD’s) used correctly, they keep
sperm and any disease organisms in semen out of the vagina. Condoms also stop
any disease organisms in the vagina from entering the penis.
(ii).
Permanent Family Planning Methods: These are methods that are used by
men and women who do not want to have any more children but want to enjoy sex
without fear of pregnancy. Examples vasectomy ad tubectomy.
(A). Vasectomy: It is a permanent birth control methods for men who do not
want to have any more children. It is a simple operation in which the doctor cuts
and seals the vas deferens (atube) in the scrotum. This prevents the sperm from
traveling from testis to the penis when a man ejaculates (releases).
(b).
Tubectomy: it is a permanent birth control method for women who do not
want to have more children. It is simply operation consists of cutting out a portion
of the oviducts. These are the tubes which stretch from the upper corner of the
uterus towards the ovaries.
29
(iii). Natural Family Planning Methods: These are methods that do not rely
on any medication or device. Natural family planning requires that a woman
should be aware of her fertile days so that she and her partner can plan sex to
avoid or achieve pregnancy. Examples of such methods are withdrawal and
Rhythm methods.
(A). Withdrawal Methods: This is the methods that a man withdraws his
penis from the vagina and ejaculates out. This requires great self control, as the
man will often want to keep his penis in the woman’s vagina for as long as
possible to obtain the greatest amount of pleasure.
(b).
Rhythm: Contraception is based on the menstrual cycle of woman.
Intercourse is avoided during period when fertilization might easily take place.
No effect on sexual pleasure and no need for intervention by health personnel.
30
Benefit of Family Planning
Upadhyay and Robey (1999) highlighted the following as some of the
benefit derived from family planning:
• Saving Women’s Lives and Avoiding Unsafe Abortion
Family planning could avoid most of the estimated 78,000 maternal deaths
that result from unsafe aborting, about 13% of the 588,000 maternal deaths each
year. Worldwide, if all couples who do not currently want to have a child used
effective contraception, most of the estimated 46 million induced abortions each
year would not occur. As many as 20 million of the 46 million abortions annually,
over 40% are unsafe. They take place outside health care system, often because
abortion is limited by law, and are performed by unskilled providers and under
unsanitary conditions. Most, but not all, unsafe aborting take place in developing
countries where abortion is limited by law.
Expanding and improving family planning programs can increase use of
effective contraceptive and this helps to reduce the number of unintended
pregnancies and abortions. As studies have shown in many countries and at
different times, abortion rates have fallen, often substantially, as use of modern
contraceptive has become more widespread. For national health systems,
providing family planning widely is a sound investment. Preventing unintended
pregnancies save health care resources that would be required for treating
complication of unsafe abortion.
31
• Limiting Risks of Pregnancy and Child Birth
Every pregnancy poses risks. When a woman wants to avoid pregnancy,
using contraceptive consisting and correctly helps protect her from exposure to the
risk of pregnancy and childbirth. In developing countries complications of
pregnancy and childbirth cause at least 25% of deaths among women of
reproductive age compared with less than 1% in developed countries. In some
developing regions, a woman’s life time risk dying due to maternal causes is 150
time greater than in developed regions. For some women, pre-existing medical
conductions make pregnancy especially risky. Such conditions include high blood
pressure, valvular heart disease; heart disease with blocked arteries, diabetes with
vascular disease, a history of or current breast cancer, malaria, sickle cell disease,
anemia, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and sexually transmitted infection Law, (1982).
Among women who do not want to have children, contraception can save
lives by avoiding the possible complications of childbirth, which can be especially
risky where access to emergency obstetric care is limited. An estimated 67% of
maternal deaths are due to complications of childbirth. About 40% of pregnant
women have some complication of childbirth many for reasons that are not
predicable or preventable. Almost all maternal deaths occur in developing
countries where many women lack access to emergency obstetric care. Until all
women have access to adequate obstetric care, family planning remains essential
to saving women’s lives. Recognizing its importance, countries at the 1994
International Conference of population and development (ICPD) organized by
32
United Nations Organization (UNO) agreed that family planning should be a
component of maternal health and safe motherhood programme.
• saving Children’s Lives
Spacing birth helps protect children’s health. A baby conceived more than
two year after an older sibling is born is more likely to survive than a baby
conceived sooner. Spacing pregnancies at least two years apart is particularly
important in developing countries, where infant mortality rate are over 10 times
higher than in developed countries 65 infant deaths per 1,000 live birth compared
with 6 per 1,000. It helps ensure her infant’s health when a woman avoid
pregnancy for 24 months after previous birth. A baby born too soon is vulnerable
because the mother has not yet recovered from vitamin depletion, blood loss, and
reproductive system damage from the previous birth. The fetus may not get the
nourishment it needs, and the baby’s birth weight may be low, and the immune
system, underdeveloped. (Winikoff, 2003).
United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA), suggested that if women used
family planning to space all pregnancies at least two years apart, one of every four
infant death would be avoided. Family planning saves children’s lives, by enabling
women to space pregnancies at least tow years apart and to limit births to the
healthiest reproductive years, contraceptive use has important benefits for children
as well as for women themselves.
33
• Limiting childbearing to the healthiest ages
Practicing family planning can help ensure healthy children by enabling
women to give birth only during their healthiest reproductive years, ages 20 to 40.
Children born to teenagers are more likely than those born to mothers in their 20s
to die before their first birthday. Younger women are less likely to receive prenatal
care and more likely to have premature babies and to suffer from obstetric
complication. Children born to mothers over age 40 are more likely to die before
age 5. Older women and women-with many previous births are more likely to have
still births or to have children congenital abnormalities and who may not survive
childhood. Pregnancies that occur before age 20 or after age 40 increase the risk of
a wide variety of health problems for the child. When woman limit births to their
healthiest reproductive year, they have healthier babies.
• Having Fewer Births
Family planning helps women avoid giving birth more time than is good for
their health. The risk of maternal complications rises dramatically after a woman’s
third or fourth birth. Regardless of a women’s age, her risk of dying when giving
birth the fourth time or more is an estimated 1.5 to 3 times higher than when
having a second or third birth. Women who have had at lest four births often
develop complication during delivery. (Presser 1998).
• Offering women Choice
In a social environment that allows women to take roles other than
motherhood, family planning empowers women by enabling them choose the
34
number and timing of their births. For some women control over their own
childbearing can open the door to more education, employment, and community
involvement. At the ICPD in Cairo, countries agreed that assuring a woman’s right
to control her own fertility is important to resolving the gender inequality that
exists at almost every level of society.
In virtually every society women derive status from their role as mothers.
Much needs to be done, however, to ensure that women get an equal share to other
life choice and opportunities. Family planning can help, for instance with effective
contraceptive women choose to be employed without the interruption of
unintended childbearing inhibit women’s educational and occupational decisions.
Other things being equal, women facing such uncertainty tend to invest less in
education and to have lower paying jobs than women who can control their
fertility. Obviously, contraceptive choice itself seldom is enough to change a
woman’s situation in life. Nevertheless, it is a powerful influence. Women who
can choose contraceptive gain more control over their own bodies. Moreover,
women who use contraceptive report that they make more decision for themselves
and that their quality of life has improved. Merki and Merki (1987) reported that
the benefits of contraceptive use included less stress, fewer worries over family
matters husbands, and more time for work and community activities.
• Delaying Motherhood enables women to obtain Schooling
Family planning helps many young women remain in school, thus
improving their futures each year, 14 million children are born to women ages 15
35
to 19. Women who begin child bearing before age 20 complete less schools than
women who delay having children until they are in their 20s. The two most
common reasons that young women do not complete secondary education are
marriage and pregnancy. In some countries pregnancies is the main reason that the
school drop out rate is higher for boys. Although school policies are changing in
some places, others female students who become pregnant are routinely expelled
from school, while such action is rarely taken against male students who cause
pregnancy.
Most women do not return to school after they become mother.
Women who do not finish school have fewer job opportunities and less income
than others and more likely to live in poverty.
Helping women remain in school by avoiding unintended pregnancies could
substantially improve child survival health. Family planning helps women delay
motherhood in order to complete school. Unless sexually active young women use
contraceptive, they face a risk tat young men do not face: that they will become
pregnant and have to leave or forego school.
• Family With Fewer Children are More Likely to Educate Their
Daughters as well as Their Sons
Family planning benefits for girl children, long before they reach
reproductive age. Families with fewer children are more likely to send their
daughters to school. Small families have more resources per person and thus have
more money to spend on school fees, books, transportation and other education
costs. In contrast, as family size grows, especially over five children, the
36
likelihood of the children in school drops dramatically for girls, coming from large
family typically means even less schooling than their brother receive, When there
are many children in a family, girls may complete with boys for the chance to
attend and remain in school.
When parent must make a choice, they often think that it is better to educate
sons rather than their daughters. While girl’s school enrollment has been rising, it
still lags behind than of boys. A disproportionate two-thirds of the 300 million
children in the world who do not attend school are girls. When families are
smaller, their resources tend to be distributed more equally among sons and
daughters.
• Helping People Avoid STDs
Family planning programmes, along with other reproductive health
programmes, can play an important role in preventing STDs, including the human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome (AIDS). As HIV/AIDS spreads with devastating consequences, family
planning programmes and STDs prevention programmes need more support for
condom supplies and promotion, health education and community outreach.
(UNAIDS, 1999). Family planning programmes encourages young people to
delay sexual initiation, advice couples to remain monogamous and promote
condom more among unmarried men. At the same time, condoms are also a
method that an estimated 44 million married couples rely on for family planning.
37
Today family planning communication and social marketing campaigns often
promote the dual role of condom in pregnancy and avoiding STDs.
• Encouraging Healthier Sexual Behaviour
Most men, and particularly sexual active unmarried men, have a lot to learn
to become responsible sex partners. Most need to know more about preventing
pregnancy and about avoiding and preventing HIV/AIDS and other STDs. Other
unmarried men are less able than married men to obtain information about safer
sexual behaviour. Embarrassment and reluctant providers may stand in the way of
obtaining condoms.
Family planning programmes can address many of the obstacles that men
face when learning about and adopting safer sexual behaviour. For example,
programmes have organized community activity and meetings where men can
discuss their concerns about sexual behaviour comfortably and openly. Family
planning can help young people make responsible sexual decisions. For youths,
these programmes also can provide better access top reproductive health services,
including contraception.
Slowing Population Growth
In any country population size helps determine demand for resources and
level of pollution. Rapid increases in population, along with rising per capital
demand for natural resources, can put tremendous pressures on the environment.
Family planning programme have played an important role in slowing population
growth. Without access to modern contraception, most people are unable to space
38
or limit their birth effectively. By providing good quality family planning information
and services, programmes have helped people have the smaller families they prefer,
fertility has fallen and population growth has slowed. (Ernest, 1990).
The Role of Education in Family Planning
The major pre-occupation of any society is education which includes all
man’s endeavours which help him to achieve his goals and live fully as a human
being capable of fulfilling his domestic and civic obligation, thereby becoming an
effective member of the society. Onwuka (1981) in Eze (2007) defines education
as he deliberate effort to accelerate the pace of development and general racial
improvement. This means that we should understand the nature and demands of
the society for which education is planned, so as to make it functional. In relation
to the above definition, it is clear that family planning is good to be acceptable in
out societies and families.
Education is a life-long process of acquisition of experience which starts
from the cradle and ends in the grace. Taba (1962) in Eze (2007) believed that
Americans assumed that education has the power to reduce poverty and distress to
prevent child delinquency crime and to promote the well being of the individual,
the welfare, and stability of the state. These definitions lay emphasis on the ability
of a person to make use of the knowledge, skill and attitude learnt in one situation
to solve problem in another situation. When this is achieved, education is said to
be functional. With this, we can promote family planning on our family, societies
and Nigeria.
39
Education lays the ground work for decision making and so with proper
education given top couples on family planning, the couples will be able to make
adequate decision for themselves. It is important to know that his education differs
significantly from the didactic class room sex education lesson. Here, families are
given basic information about their sexual behaviour, way of avoiding unwanted
pregnancies and various methods they can use to plan when to have children and
number of children to have. This will help them to avoid the stress of giving birth
to too many children and struggling to provide their basic needs. In the course of
this education, couples mind should be disabused from notion or belief that family
planning can make a woman to be infertile for life.
Implication for Counselling
Counselling involves rendering pieces of advice to somebody in an attempt
to lead such a person toward taking desirable decision. In view of this, just like
every individual in the society. Nigerian families need counselling so as to be able
to have well-planned families that would be of utmost benefit not only to the
family member along but the entire nation.
Apart from being aware of how to plan their families, counselors can help
families by giving them pertinent education and information on issues relating to
family planning, such as the objectives, needs and the benefits of family planning
to all members of the family. Counselors also assist families by referring them to
the appropriate authority where they can benefit from Planned Parenthood
Programmes (Oluruntoba, 1995).
40
In addition to the above, given the opportunity to counsel couples, a small
model will be used comprising couples only. As Thompson, and Poppen (2001)
states, that the small social work group provides a unique opportunity for couples
to learn about, think about and talk about their sexual and reproductive behaviour.
It also gives them the chance to correct misinformation as well as explore the
values on which they generally make decisions.
In the use of this small group, some assumptions will be borne in mind;
1.
That the new information given will be retained and used by individuals
only if they can be integrated into their ways of thinking and doing in a way that
makes sense to them.
2.
If the new information does not fit into what the couples already understand
or believe, the new
information may not be integrated unless there is the
opportunity for questioning its validity or applicability in more specific terms.
3.
That the decision to adopt or reject new ways of thinking or doing is the
result of a process which is best done through interaction with significant others i.e
people whose opinions matter (members of the group with homogenous
problems).
This implies that members of the group are not forced to accept particular
decision given by the counsellor but are allowed interacting between members of
the group with similar problems and making heir decisions.
In working with this group, certain terms must be given, for example
41
i.
There are no areas of sex or sexuality and family planning which cannot be
brought up in the group. This is necessary because it is in this area that couples are
misinformed and confused. This means that there will be need for intimacy and
trust to be established between the counsellor and members of the group. In this
case, questions related to sexuality and family planning will be raised which are
issues of great interest to members. Discussions should include topics dealing
with sex and love, self image, sexual activities sex role, sexual orientation, sexual
and physical abuse. Questions asked by group members almost always cause silent
anxieties around what is or is not normal or appropriate.
ii.
Membership in this group should be dictated by marital status.
iii.
The core curriculum should consist of the reproductive anatomy and
physiology, including family planning, birth control, pregnancy options, sex roles
etc this is aimed at unwanted pregnancy prevention.
With this counselling successfully carried out, couples will be able to have
intended number of children they wish to have. These skills may lead the couples
to take responsible decision on their reproductive behaviour. The programme
encourages prevention but couples who choose to be sexually active are not
discouraged.
Theoretical Framework
There is virtually not universally accepted theory on which a family
planning research could be hinged. Nevertheless, people have approached the
42
Problem using Health belief model by Rosen Stock et al and Theory of Reasoned
Action by Fishbein and Ajzen.
The Health Belief Model
The Health Belief Model (HBM) is a psychological model that attempts to
explain and predict health behaviour. This is done by focusing on the attitudes and
beliefs of individuals. The Health Belief Model was first developed in the 1950s
by social psychologist Hochbaum, Rosen Stock and Kegels working in the U.S.
public Health Services. The model was developed in response to the failure of a
free tuberculosis (TB) health screening program. Since then, the Health Belief
Model has been adapted to explore a variety of long-and short-term health
behaviours, including sexual risk behaviours and reproductive health behaviour.
The Health Belief Model on the understanding that a person will take a
health-related action (i.e use contraceptive) if that person:
1.
Feels that a negative health condition (i.e material mortality and other
reproductive related problem) can be avoided.
2.
Has a positive expectation that by taking a recommended health action
couples will avoid negative health condition (i.e using contraceptive and
other family planning method that will prevent unwanted pregnancy and
risk associated with child bearing.
3.
Believes that couples can successfully
take a recommended health
action (i.e any recommended family method comfortably and with
confidence).
43
The Health Belief Model was spelled out in term of four constructs representing
the perceived threat and net benefits: perceived susceptibility, perceived severity,
perceived benefits and perceived barriers. These concepts were proposed as
accounting for people’s “readiness to act”. An added concept, cues to action,
would activate that readiness and stimulate overt behaviour. A recent addition to
the Health Belief Model is the concept of self-efficiency, or one’s confidence in
the ability to successfully perform an action. This concept was added by Rosen
stock and others in 1998 to help the Health Belief Model better fit the challenges
of changing habitual unhealthy behaviours, such as reproductive health behaviour
that involves risk. The prediction of the model is the likelihood of the individual
concerned to undertake recommended health action (such as preventive and
curative health action).
Theory of reasoned action
The theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) is a model that finds its origins in the
field of social psychology. This model developed by Fishbein and Ajzen (1975)
defines the links between beliefs, attitudes, norms, intension, and behaviours of
individuals. According to this model, a person’s attitudes are determined by its
behavioural intention to perform it. This intention is itself determined by the
person’s attitudes and his subjective norms towards the behaviour. Fishbein and
Ajzen define the subjective norms as “the person’s perception that most people
who are important to him think he should or should not perform the behaviour in
question”.
44
According to Theory of Reasoned Action, the attitude of a person towards
behaviour is determined by his beliefs on the consequences of this beliefs on the
consequences of this behaviour, multiplied by his evaluation of these
consequences. Beliefs are defined by the person’s subjective probability that
performing a particular behaviour will produce specific result. This model
therefore suggests that
external stimuli influence attitudes by modifying the
structure of the person’s beliefs. Moreover, behaviour intention is also determined
by the subjective norms that are themselves determined by the normative beliefs of
as individual and by his motivation to comply to the norms.
In relating this theory to family planning decision, social and cultural norms,
gender roles, social networks, religion and local beliefs influence people’s choice.
To a large extent, these community norms determine individual childbearing
preferences and sexual and reproductive behaviour. Community and culture affect
a person’s attitudes toward family planning, desired sex of children, preferences
about family six, family pressures to have children, and whether family planning
accord with customs and religious belief. Community norms also prescribe how
much autonomy individuals have in making family planning decisions. The larger
the differences in reproductive intentions within a community, the more likely that
community norms support individual decision.
A person’s social environment usually has more influence on family
planning decision that do the attribute of specific contraceptive. In many countries
family planning programmes are part of national economic and social development
45
efforts. Effort to foster equity in decision making and raise awareness about the
reproductive right in the family, community and society also promote choice of
family planning. As women gain more autonomy, they are better able to claim
their right as individuals, including the right to act to protect their own
reproductive health.
Everybody belongs to informed social networks that influence their
behaviour to some degree. Some network includes the extended family, friends,
neighbours, political groups and other formal and informal associations. During
the course of the day people often speak to other people about family planning and
experience with contraceptive use. For many people’s informed communications is
a primary source of family planning information. The influence of social network
is crucial to educate others. Most people seek the approval of others and modify
their own behaviour to please others or to meet others expectations. Individual
health behaviour is influenced by how a person thinks that others view their
behaviour. People choose contraceptive methods that are commonly used in their
community because they know that it is socially acceptable to do so, and they tend
to know more than these methods. Many women use the same family planning
method that others in their community uses. (McCauley, 1995).
Household influence a person’s marital status, the stability of the marriage,
communication with the person’s partner and status within the family influence
family planning decisions. Some women say that contraceptive use is not an
individual decision but one made by the couple or the family. For some, decisions
46
about family planning may reflect pressures from family members-to use a
particular method, or not to use any method., Where women have little autonomy,
their husbands, mother-in-law, or other family members often make family
planning decision for them.
From above discussion, it implies that if people are well informed about
family planning and probably see other family who are doing well due to their
involvement in family planning. They will imitate them and embrace the idea.
Because behaviour is shaped by group and individual norm and attitude, it is
helpful for people to identify social pressure and then to develop individual and
group values that support health and appropriate behaviour.
Empirical Studies
In this section, a review of relevant literature will be carried out. The
essence is to have a critical look at how other researchers have approached the
issue of family planning not only in Nigeria and also in other countries.
Ha, Jayasuriya and Owen (2005) carried out a study on increasing male
involvement in family planning decision making in rural Vietnam. They took a
sample of 651 married men from 12 villages in two rural communes (A Hong and
Quoc tuan) in the An Hai district of Hai Phong province in Vietnam. Interviewers
visited each household in the selected villages and sought all married men aged
19-45 years who had lived with their wives in the same house during the 3 months
prior to the study.
47
Their findings provides strong support for the utility of the Transtheoretical
Model (TTM) in guiding a targeted intervention to promote contraceptive
acceptance (in this case the IUD methods) core constructs of TTM (self-efficacy
and the pros and cons of behaviour change) were related to aspects of the out
comes that they found. Intervention effects were revealed for lowering cons for
IUD use, and increasing pros and self-efficacy for IUD use. At the base line, some
differences between intervention and control groups were seen for (and for
educational level and occupation). As hypothesized, men in the intervention group
reported significantly higher self-efficacy for IUD use than those in the control
group at post test.
Oladokun (2004) conducted a research on family planning at Ilora in Oyo
state. 12 items questionnaire was designed to elicit information from one hundred
respondents from selected villages of Ilora in Oyo state based ion the implication
of family planning techniques in a traditional rural population.
The findings of this study show that the rural population embraces family
planning techniques of modern times than the old ones. Out of the total number of
respondents, that is, one hundred seventy-six (76) of them practice and prefer
family planning of modern time to the old form of family planning methods. The
remaining twenty-four (24) are quite against the assertion. The entire five selected
rural villager maintain almost the same level of agreement at this findings. For
48
instance, 18 respondents (90%) out of 20 agreed and confirm this in Liu-Aje alone.
Other villages with their corresponding agreed and confirmed percentage stand at
55% with Alaga village, 85% with Ayetoro, 70% with Onifa and 80% with IdiAraba.
Although the percentage of the respondents who believed in many
advantages accruable to family planning techniques is relatively small, the above
average percentage level is 55. Many of them believed that traditional means of
family control measures have the same advantages as the modern ways of birth
control.
Also on the same study, the researcher found that a minority (only 26%) of
the total respondents believes in the use of condom and pills while the remaining
64% strongly believe in any other means of family planning techniques. In fact the
rural dwellers hate using condom or any insertion on their sexual organ, they
believe that using this will not stimulate the sexual urge and would not give natural
gratification derivable from sexuality.
The researcher in his findings also reported that both men and women
should practice family planning techniques, which they observed in their social life
style. Seventy-two (72) out of the one hundred respondents contacted are in
support of this view while the remaining twenty-eight (28) opposed the view. It is
only few that supported the opinion that it pays women to use contraceptives or
pills that the man.
49
In a bid to determine the knowledge of family planning and its effects on the
families Ile-Ife Osun state inNIgeria. Ayeni (2001) carried out a research using a
population of 77 women and 2 men between the ages of 20 and 50 years who
patronize either the clinics (both government and private), chemist ships where
family planning services are offered and individual homes. The questionnaire and
in-depth inter-views was used to elicit information from respondents.
His findings shows that the proportion of women currently practicing
contraceptives is much larger for women whose husbands approve of their using
contraceptives than for those whose husbands do not approve or are neutral. One
of his striking findings is the excess mortality in the first month on life 4-11
months birth to conception interval. He also found out that there is limitation in he
number of family planning methods that are available for the users IUCD, plus,
injection and condom are the easily available ones. This may account for the high
percentage of the users of those methods.
In a study carried out by Akwali (1997) titled attitude of male and female
teachers toward family planning in Kogi State. A target population of male and
female teachers with their ages ranging from 24-44 years old. A twenty items
questionnaire was use to elicit information from the respondents.
The findings of the study influenced the desire for birth spacing is
influenced by the age of the respondents. This is there quarters of the respondents
agreed that the age range of 24-34 and 34-44. In giving a minimum of two years,
50
teachers showed that they are convinced of the mother and that of the offspring are
very important.
The researcher also found out that more women supported that women
should get married between the ages of 26-30 years this shows that women are
now conscious of the hard work needed in marriage. Secondly, one should be
matured and well equipped in the art of home management and child care before
marriage. From the religious point of view, the study reviews that all religious
denomination responded positively to family planning with only a few responding
negatively. These findings showed that the slight differences in attitude might be
due to the doctrine of Catholics and Moslems to some extent.
Chibuike (1999) in his demographic study of “Marriage, Family Planning
and family Growth in Nigeria” in which he asked women what they consider the
ideal age for marriage and family planning practice for women; an indication show
that the age given by the respondents was 21.4 as against their actual average age
at marriage which was 19.8 years.
Chibuike’s finding shows that there is a difference between the ideal age
and actual age at marriage. The information regarding age at marriage is essential
since in most countries it is marriage that guarantees the female the license to
procreate. Therefore, low age at marriage makes for high fertility, all things being
equal.
In response to the ideal number of children desired by couples, answers
ranged from three in the developed countries to six in some developing countries.
51
In India, the average number of children considered ideal was found to be three. In
Puerto Rico, women consider three or less to be ideal. On the contrary, in Nairobi,
men and women wanted a total family size of six. This tally with Chibuike’s
finding in Lagos which his respondents gave six as the ideal number..
The studies so far reviewed show that a strong detests exist for childlessness
as well as one child family. The studies also show that differences between ideal,
desired and completed family sizes. In most of the studies the complete family
sizes exceed he desired family. This indicates non utility of effective family
planning methods.
Summary of the Review
From the various literatures in this study, it was found that family planning
is an important tool that brings about positive changes oro development to families
communities and a nation at large. It is designed to help families or couples to
decide when to have children or not. Space children, number of children to have
and prevent unwanted pregnancies. A healthy planned family is the pride of the
nation because, family planning help to reduce poverty, over population and to
give adequate care and education to our children. Also it helps to reduce the rate of
unemployment and to improve health of men and women to live longer.
The awareness of family planning among the people in the community has
offered couples the encouragement to have only children they can properly and
adequately cater for. It equally has created child-spacing and child rearing practice
which helps women to maintain good health in them and in the children.
52
The overall essence of family planning therefore seems to be the control of family
population and in variable too, the population of the nation so as to avoid
unwanted children.
In the other hands, the level accepting family planning among the people in
the community is on the decrease since to some, greater number of children
determined the greater output of food production. To them, if numbers of children
are small, means of livelihood of the citizens continue to dwindle on daily basis. It
is therefore no gain.
There are two well known methods of family planning which includes:
traditional methods and new modern methods. The traditional methods of
controlling family size were practiced as far back as history could tell. These
traditional methods include prolonged breast feeding, post partum, abstinence etc.
while the modern methods are categorized into three types. These include:
temporary family planning methods, permanent family planning methods and
natural family planning methods.
The impact of family planning on reproductive behaviour of parents in the
community include saving women’s lives and avoiding unsafe abortion, limiting
risk of pregnancy and child birth, saving children’s lives, limiting childbearing to
the healthiest ages etc.
However, after the researcher has made an in depth study of other peoples
research work on the issues of family planning, it has been observed that no study
had been carried out in the area of assessing the impact of family planning
53
programme in Isiala Mbano Local government Area of Imo State. Hence, the
researcher carried out a study on that area which will be helpful to parents, health
workers and most specifically guidance counselors to know steps to take in
creating awareness on the appropriate method of family planning that is good for
different individuals and society at large.
54
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHOD
This chapter describes the method employed by the researcher in carrying
out this study. It specifically describes: the design of the study, area of study,
population of the study, sample and sampling the technique, instrument for data
collection, validation of instrument, reliability of instrument, and procedure for
data collection and method of data analysis
The Design of Study
The study was a descriptive survey. Descriptive survey studies, are aimed at
collecting data and describing in a systematic manner the characteristics features
or facts about a given population (Ali, 1996). This study is concerned with the
assessment of the influence of family planning and the implication for counselling
in Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo state.
Area of the study
This study was conducted in Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imp
State. It is located at Okigwe sentatorial district of Imp state.
Isiala Mbano Local Government Area is made up of twelve communities
which include the followings: Amaraku, Anauzari, Anara, Eziama, Ibeme, Obollo,
Ogbor, umuduru, Umunkwo, Ugiri, Umueke and Umuozu. Some of these
communities are semi-urban while others are rural. Here is high level of illiteracy
because most of the people engage in farming rather than going to school which
55
make them to prefer having large families that will help them in farming leading to
population increase.
Population of the study
The population of this study comprised the entire families in Isiala Mbano
Local Government Area of Imo State., The total population of the families in Isiala
Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State is ten thousand five hundred
(10,500). (2006 census figure from National Population Commission Office, Isiala
Mbano Local Government Council Imo State).
Sample and Sampling Technique
Sample sizes of 240 families were used for this study. 20 families were
randomly drawn from each community using the simple random sampling
techniques. This implies that every family stands the chance of been selected or
not.
Instrument for Data Collection
The instrument to be used for data collection in this study was a structure
questionnaire. The instrument consisted of two section; A and B. Section a was
designed to elicit personal data, bearing in mind the characteristics of the
respondents while section B comprised of twenty items, grouped into clusters;
Cluster A consisted of five items to elicit information on the level of
awareness on family planning method among the people in the communities,
cluster B consisted of five items to elicit information on the level of acceptance of
the people towards family planning, clusters C consisted of six items to elicit
56
information on family planning method that is mostly embraced by the people and
cluster D consisted of four items to elicit information on the impact of family
planning on the reproductive behaviour. The questionnaire was designed to obtain
data from parents on the influence of family planning on families in Isiala Mbano
Local Government Area of Imo State. It had a four point response options as
shown below:
Strongly Agreed
Agreed
Disagreed
Strongly Disagreed
Validation of Instrument
The instrument was first validated by the three experts, two from guidance
and counselling and one from measurement and Evaluation in the Faculty of
education University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
The experts were given the initial raft of the instrument to check the
structuring adequacy of the responses. Based on the criticisms and suggestions
made by the experts, the initial drafts of the instrument were modified.
Reliability of Instrument
A trial testing was carried not in Njaba Local Government Area which is
outside the area of study but has the same characteristics with the study area.
Copies of the instrument were administered on 40 respondents. Data collected
were analyzed using the
Chronbach Apha. Based on the analysis, reliability
57
coefficients of 0.97, 0.97, 0.99 and 0.97 for cluster A, B, C and D respectively
were got. The result was high enough for the instrument to be deemed reliable.
Method for Data Collection
Copies of the questionnaire were administered by the researcher o the
respondents in the various communities selected for study in Isiala Mbano Local
Government Area. The researcher waited to collect the questionnaire after they
have been filled by the respondents.
For the illiterate respondents, the researcher read the items on the
questionnaire for them and ticks the responses. The researcher is personally train
two persons to serve as research assistance during the study.
Methods of Data Analysis
The research her analysed the data using mean in order to determine the
degree of agreement to each questionnaire item, means scores was used to answer
question. IN taking a decision in each of the research question, mean scores of
2.50 and above on the four point rating was chosen as acceptable, while those
below 2.50 was regarded as negative and not accepted. The t-test statistics was
employed to test the null hypotheses formulated for the study.
58
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS
This chapter dwelt on the result of the research study. The data was
organized and presented in tables in direct introspection with research questions
and hypothesis posed to guide the study.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS I
TABLE 1: Mean responses on level of awareness on the family planning among
the people in the community.
S/No
1
2
3
4
5
Items descriptions
I am aware that there are different family
planning methods in my community
New modern method is one of family planning
method that exist in my community
I know that there is a traditional method of
family planning
I have attended a seminar on family planning in
my community.
My doctor gave me instruction on the use of
implantation as a medical device for family
planning.
Mean
3.81
Remarks
Accepted
3.57
Accepted
3.53
Accepted
3.42
Accepted
3.32
Accepted
Table 1 indicates that all the items in he table have been rated positive and
the ratings are above the criterion mean of 2.50. The mean scores 3..81 and 3.57 of
items 1 and 2 which are the highest rated in the table show that people are aware
that thee are different family planning method that exist in my community. Also,
people in my community known that there is a traditional method of family
planning and equally attend seminar on family planning. This is because of the
mean scores of 3.53 and 3.42 which is higher than the criterion mean of 2.50.
59
Item 5 with mean score of 3.32 also indicates acceptance since the score is above
the criterion mean. Based on the above fact, it was established that level of
awareness on the family planning among the people in the community is high.
RESEARCH QUESTION 2
TABLE 2: Mean Responses on the level of acceptance of the people toward
family planning.
S/No
6
7
8
9
10
Items descriptions
I prefer the natural family planning to all other
methods.
My partner and I decided to use condom as our
family planning method.
I prefer the use of pills as a means of family
planning because I hate taking injection.
To me, implantation is the most convenient
family planning method.
Injection is one of the family planning methods
I cherish.
Mean
3.21
Remarks
Accepted
3.14
Accepted
3.27
Accepted
3.23
Accepted
2.98
Accepted
Table 2 indicates that all the items in the table have been rated positive and
the ratings are above the criterion mean of 2.50. The mean scores for all the items
in table 2 revealed that there is high level of acceptance of family planning among
the people which means that most parents in the various communities accepted
family planning.
RESEARCH QUESTION 3
TABLE 3: Mean responses on which of these family planning methods do people
embraced mostly.
60
S/No
11
12
13
14
15
16
Items descriptions
I am presently using condom as my preferred
family planning method
I and my spouse agree on the use of injectable
based on my doctor’s advice.
Any time I have sex, I do take pills to prevent
pregnancy.
I have always indulged in the use of implant
ever since I stopped giving birth.
The traditional family planning method is
cheaper and safer than the new modern method
that is why I prefer it.
Ever since I started the use of contraceptives, I
have not experienced any side effect in my
reproductive system
Mean
2.05
Remarks
Rejected
3.25
Accepted
3.33
Accepted
2.24
Rejected
3.28
Accepted
3.44
Accepted
Table 3 indicates that items 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 has a high mean scores of
3.25, 3.33, 3.28 and 3.44 respectively which shows that thee is a positive
responses to the use of injectable based on doctor’s advice, any time people have
sex, they take pills to prevent pregnancy and that the use of contraceptives has no
side effect to people that make use of it.
However, items 11 and 14 with mean scores of 2.05 and 2.24 disagreed that
using condom and use of implant is not effective family planning method. This is
because their mean scores is not up to the criterion mean of 2.50.
RESEARCH QUESTION 4
TABLE 4: Mean Responses on what impact does family planning have on the
reproductive behaviour of parents in the community.
61
S/No
17
18
19
20
Items descriptions
Constant Practice of family planning does not have
any adverse effect on my reproductive system.
Family planning helps to encourage child spacing
among couples during their reproductive years.
Some religious upholds family planning because it
serves as a means of disciplining some promiscuous
individual
Family planning helps couples to enjoy their sexual
life after giving birth to the number of children they
want.
Mean Remarks
2.05 Rejected
3.20
Accepted
3.18
Accepted
2.95
Accepted
The table indicates that items 17, with a mean score of 2.15 have been rated
negative. This is based on the fact that the mean score is less than the criterion
mean of 2.50. This then, established that constant practice of family planning have
adverse effect on reproductive system.
However, items 18, 19 and 20 have been rated positive and the ratings are
above the criterion mean of 2.50. Therefore, it was established that family
planning helps to encourage child spacing among couples during their
reproductive years, some religious upholds family planning because it serves as a
means of disciplining some promiscuous individuals and that family planning
helps couples to enjoy their sexual life after giving birth to the number of children
they want.
HYPOTHESIS 1
There is no significant different (P < 0.05) in the mean ratings with regards
to the level of awareness on family planning method between families in rural and
those in semi urban areas.
62
TABLE 5
Summary of T-test for HO1
Leven’s Test for Test for equality for means
equality
of
variance
Mean
Variance
Rural
Rural
3.064
-0.134
Semi-urban
Semi-urban
3.020
0.106
F
Sig
T
Df
Sig (2 tailed)
0.173
0.681
-0.343
26
0.735
Table 5 displayed the independent sample T-test for hypothesis I. The mean scores
of item in cluster A were used for the test. Literarily the test proved whether there
is significant difference in the average mean score of families in rural and semi
urban with regard to their responses to questionnaires items in cluster A.
In the analysis equal variance assumption was made column 3 and 4 showed
the Leven’s test for equality of variance. The results has F=0.173 is less them the
significant value (0.681) at 0.05 level of significance. Therefore the variance of the
two groups parents in rural areas and parents in semi-urban areas are equal.
Having proved the assumption,
one could reliable make
a decision
63
based on the analysis on independent sample T-test for hypothesis 1. From column
5, 6, and 7, one can see that the t-calculated (-0.343) at 26 degrees of freedom is
less than the significant value (0.735) at 0.05 level of significance.
Hence, the null hypothesis 1 is accepted with a decision that there is no significant
difference between the opinions of families in rural areas and semi-urban areas
with regard to the level of awareness on family planning method.
HYPOTHESIS 2
There is no significant difference (P<0.05) in the mean rating on the level of
acceptance of family planning method between families in rural and semi urban
areas.
TABLE 6
Summary of T-test HO2
Mean
Variance
Rural
Rural
2.471
0.424
Leven’s Test for Test for equality for means
equality
of
variance
F
Sig
T
Df
Sig (2 tailed)
0.000
Semi-urban
Semi-urban
3.020
0.106
0.997 -0.001
12
0.999
Table 6 upheld the assumption of equal variance since f-0.000 is less than
significant value (0.997) at 0.05 level of significances. In column 5, 6 and 7 of
64
table 6, we see that the t-calculated (-0.001) at 12 degree of freedom is less than
the significant value (0.999) at 0.05 level of significance. Therefore the null
hypothesis 2 is accepted with the decision that there is no significance difference.
SUMMARY OF MAJOR FINDING
The major findings of the research are summarized in accordance with the
research question and hypotheses.
1)
There is an agreement among the respondents that there is a very high
level of awareness on the existence of family planning among the people
in the community.
2)
As regards the levels of acceptance, the findings of this study revealed
that most people in the communities accepted family planning.
3)
Based on he method of family planning mostly embraced, the findings
from this study revealed that most people do not embrace the use of
condom, implantation and traditional family planning methods as found
in responses in items 11, 14 and 15 while items 12 and 13 indicated that
thee is an agreement by some people that the use of pills and injectable is
embrace as a method of family planning. However, the responses to this
research question revealed that most people frown at some of the method
of family planning.
4)
With regard to reproductive behaviour among the people, the findings
from this study revealed that family planning have a positive impact on
reproductive behaviour among the people in the community. These are
65
shown in the responses to items 17, 18, 19 and 20 in which the people
agreed that constant practice of family planning does not have any
adverse effect on the reproductive system of an individuals family
planning helps to encourage child spacing among couples during their
reproductive years, that some religion upholds family planning because it
serves as a means of disciplining some individual who are promiscuous
and that family planning helps couples to enjoy their sexual life after
given birth to the number of children they want.; ON the other hand, only
item 16 disagreed with the notion that family planning has a positive
impact on the reductive behaviour of an individual.
For the two null hypotheses used for the study.
HYPOTHESIS I: Showed that there is no significant different in he level of
awareness on family planning method between families in rural and semi-urban
areas.
HYPOTHESIS II: Also indicated that there is no significant difference on the
level of acceptance of family planning method between families in rural and semiurban with regard to the impact of family planning on families in Isiala Mbano
Local Government Area of Imo state.
66
CHAPTER FIVE
This chapter discusses the findings of the study as they related to research
question, implication, recommendation of the study, limitation of the study,
suggestion for further study, summary and conclusion of the study.
DISCUSSION OF THE STUDY
While carrying out the study on influence of family planning on families in
Isiala Mbano local government area of Imo state. This was done under the
following research questions.
Level of awareness on family planning among the people in the community
From analysis of data in table 1, the research showed that families in Isiala
Mbano local government areas of Imo state unanimously agreed that they are
aware of family planning in their various communities. The agreement on the level
of awareness of the people on family planning was based on the fact that the
people are aware of different family planning methods which include new modern
methods, traditional method, have attended seminars and have received instruction
on how to use implantation.
Therefore, it as evidently clear that the people have a very high level of
awareness on the existence of family planning. Knowledge of family planning
method has been found to be highest among women aged 20-39 years. This is
probably due to the fact that this is the most reproductive years of women (Agbola,
2001). One will however expect a higher knowledge of information about family
67
planning now efforts have been put on the importance of family planning by both
the government and other agencies through advertisement on TV and radio
(Piotrow, 2000).
Level of acceptance of the people towards family planning
This research question sought to find out the level of acceptance of the
people toward family planning. Responses obtained from the research question
unanimously agreed that there was a high level of acceptance of family planning
among the people. Their agreement was based on the fact that the people agreed
that they preferred natural family planning, couples decided to use condom, they
prefer the use of pills, implantation as the most convenient family planning
method and injectable is one of the family planning methods the people cherished.
This is in line with Jayasuriya and Owen (2005), findings from a study they
carried out in rural Vietnam, which revealed that there is a strong support among
household for the acceptance and utilization of contraceptive.
Which of these family planning methods do people embrace mostly?
From the analysis of data in table 3, the result showed that majority of the
family planning method were not embraced by the people. This negative response
was based on the fact that most people disagree with the use of condom, and
implantation method.
However, the respondents agrees on the use of injectable based on their doctor’s
advice, use of pills to prevent pregnancy, that the traditional family planning
method is cheaper and safer than the new modern method and the use of
68
contraceptive have no side effect in reproductive system. This finding is in line
with Ayeni (1999) who stated that there is different family planning method
ranging from traditional to new modern method.
What influence does family planning have on the reproductive behaviour of
parents?
The data obtained from cluster D of the instrument provided that family
planning has a positive impact on people’s reproductive behaviour. This is in line
with the people’s agreement that family planning helps to encourage child spacing
among couple during their reproductive years, some religious doctrine upholds
family planning because it serves as a means of disciplining some promiscuous
individual and family planning helps couples to enjoy their sexual life after giving
birth to the number of children they want.
Their responses also indicated that thee is a disagreement on the fact that
constant practice of family planning does not have any adverse effect on
reproductive system. Agreeing on this, is the fact that Ladipo (2000), in a lecture
titled injectable contraceptive organized by the department of obstetrics and
Gynecology of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu stated that the
advantages of “family planning”: far out-weigh their side effect on families and
therefore should be encouraged.
69
HYPOTHESIS I
The null hypothesis presentation in table 5 was at 0.05 level of significance.
The finding showed that there was no significant differences in the level of
awareness on family planning between family in the rural areas and those in the
semi-urban areas with regard to impact of family planning on families in Isiala
Mbano Local Government of Imo state. The data collected and tested showed that
the ‘t’ calculated was less than ‘t’ critical and that forms the base for accepting the
hypothesis.
HYPOTHESIS II
The null hypothesis II (table 6) used for this research was also tested at 0.05
level of significance and the result obtained was that, there is no significant
difference in the level of acceptance of family planning method between families
in rural areas and semi-urban areas with regard to impact of family planning on
families. The data collected and tested showed that the ‘t’ calculated was less than
the ‘t’ critical and so the hypothesis is accepted. This confirms the guess that no
significant difference exist.
What matter in any community either rural or semi urban is the ability of every
family to embrace and put into practice the family planning methods at their
disposal. Location should not influence the practice of family planning among
couples. All families both in the rural and semi-urban areas should work toward
achieving the goal/benefits of family planning to improve the standard of living in
our country.
70
EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATION
The finding of this study have some educational implications for the
parents, government, health workers and family guidance counselors. One of the
findings of this study is that most people though are aware of family planning and
accepted it, they do not put it into practice. This indicates the need for parents to
develop interest in practicing family planning, since it has no negative impact on
their reproductive behaviour. To ensure full embracement and putting into practice
family planning method, government should intensify effort in establishing family
planning clinics in every community to boost the accessibility of the people to
such centers. Health workers should be up and doing to put into practice these
family planning methods that the people are already aware of. For family guidance
counsellor, it is necessary for them to re-educate parents on the need to put into
practice family planning methods that it recommended for them by health care
provider.
RECOMMENDATION
The following recommendations have been in light of he findings, the
discussion that followed and the various implications that have been highlighted.
1) Seminars and workshop concerning reproductive issue should be regularly
conducted for parents. This will enable them effectively put into practice
various family planning that are within their reach.
2) The community approach should be used in integrating family planning
education in various communities. The aim is not only to motivate the
71
people as well as to generate social support for family planning. To do this
effectively in our rural environment there is need to know something about
the community such as its structure, its channels of communication, its
attitude to government agencies as well as its attitudes to health and family
planning.
3) Family planning education can form part of health education. This could be
given to pregnant mothers attending the antenatal clinics. All health
officers should actively participate in family planning education in their
communities.
4) Every person whether married or single should be made aware of the need
for family planning. This awareness could be created through massive
population and medical education. People should be made aware of the
individual benefits that could emanate from family planning and how
this may be realized. To this effect mass media should be intensively
used.
5) Direct family planning services clinics and multipurpose community centers
should be opened by the government in rural and semi-urban areas.
These should also be methods of reaching coupled at their door steps.
72
LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The study was constrained by a number of factor prominent among them are
1)
The study being restrained to a local government in the state, the result
of findings will not be generalized to the whole state due to limited
number of sample used.
2)
As a descriptive survey information on data collected on the basis of
the opinion (perception) could be misleading due to dishonesty of the
respondents in providing the needed information.
3)
The study was very strenuous, time consuming and cost intensive for
the researcher because she had to reach all the autonomous
communities concerned.
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY
Based on the findings and limitation of this study further researches could
address the following areas.
1) Carry out a study on wide scope on the influence of family planning on
families in Okigwe senatorial district.
2) Carry out a study on the assessment of the success of family planning
programme in Imo State.
SUMMARY OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of family on
families in Isiala Mbano local government of Imo state.
73
In pursuance of the aforementioned objectives, four research questions are posed,
two hypotheses postulated. The instrument used was the researcher made
questionnaire title “influence of family planning on families”. Review of related
literature was done under four major headings and nine subheadings which
provided the researcher with information on what has been done in the area as well
as a sound conceptual framework of the study. Subjects for the study constituted
240 parents from the
12 communities that make up Isiala Mbano local
government area of Imo state. The research questions were analysed using mean
score while the hypotheses were tested using t-test statistics.
The result revealed
1)
Families in Isiala unanimously agreed that they are aware of the
existence of family planning methods in their communities.
2)
They also unanimously agreed that there is a high level of acceptance of
family planning method.
3)
The finding from the analysis of data obtained from responses to
research question 3, item 11, and 14 revealed that most people do not
embrace the use of condom and implantation. While items 12, 13, 15 and
16 indicates that injectable based on doctor’s advice is preferred, pills
prevent pregnancy, traditional family planning method is cheaper and
safer than the new modern methods and that use of contraceptives have o
side effect on reproductive system.
74
4)
Parents unanimously agreed to items 18, 19 and 20 that family planning
have positive impact on reproductive behaviour while only item 17
disagreed with the fact that constant practice of family planning does not
have any adverse effect on reproductive system.
5)
There was no significant different in the mean rating on the level of
awareness on family planning method between families in rural and
semi-urban areas with regard to impact of families planning on families.
In other words, no two groups were significantly different at 0.05 level.
6)
There was no significant different in the mean rating of level of
acceptance of family planning method between families in rural and
semi-urban areas with regard to the impact of family planning on
families. The implications of the research findings, recommendations,
suggestions for further research and limitation of the study were also
highlighted.
75
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UNAIDS (1999). UNAID Programme Global Report
UNFPA (2000). Family Planning Saving children’s Improving Lives. New York:
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78
APPENDIX A
Department of Education Foundation
University of Nigeria,
Nsukka.
19th August, 2008.
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am a student of the department of Guidance and counselling Unit of
Department of Education Foundation, University Of Nigeria, Nsukka.I am
carrying out a study on “Influence of Family Planning on Families in Isiala Mbano
L.G.A of Imo State” as part of requirement for graduation.
Attached herewith is a questionnaire designed for gathering information for
the study.
You are provided with four options: Very High (VH), High (H), Low (L),
and Very Low (VL) in clusters A and B while in clusters C and D, you are proceed
with four options: Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A),. Disagree (D), and Strongly
Disagree (SD).I wish to assure you that all information provided by you will be
treated in strict confidence and purely used for research purposes.
Thanks for your anticipated co-operation.
Ebizie E.N.
79
QUESTIONNAIRE
A question designed extract information from parents on the influence of Family
Planning on families in Isiala Mbano L.G.A.
SECTION A
Personal Data
Fill in the group you belong to.
Location:
Rural
Semi Urban
Sex:
Female
Male
Age Range: 18-25
26-32
33-40
41 and above
SECTION B
Please indicate your response by ticking
VH
=
Very High
H
=
High
L
=
Low
VL
=
Very Low
√
options of your choice
For items one to ten, while
SA
=
Strongly Agreed
A
=
Agreed
D
=
Disagreed
SD
=
Strongly Disagreed for item eleven to twenty
80
CLUSTER A
S/No The level of awareness on family
planning method among the people
in the communities.
1
I am aware that there are different
family planning methods in my
community.
2
New modern methods is one of family
planning method that exist in my
community.
3
I know that there is a tradition method
of family planning.
4
I have attended a seminar on family
planning in my community.
5
My doctor gave me instruction on the
use of implantation as a medical device
for family planning.
VH
H
L
VL
81
CLUSTER B
S/No The level of acceptance of the people
towards family planning.
6
I prefer the natural family planning to
all other methods.
7
My partner and I decided to use
condom as our family planning method.
8
I prefer the use of pills as a means of
family planning because I hate taking
injectable.
9
To me, implantation is the most
convenient family planning method.
10
Injection is one of the family planning
methods I cherish.
VH
H
L
VL
82
CLUSTER C
S/No Family Planning method that is
mostly embraced by the people.
11
I am presently using condom as my
preferred family planning method.
12
I and my spouse agree on the use of
injectable based on my doctor’s advice.
13
Any time I have sex, I do take pill to
prevent pregnancy.
14
I have always indulged in the use of
implant ever since I stopped giving
birth.
15
The traditional family planning method
is cheaper and safer than the new
modern method that is why I prefer
using it.
16
Ever since I started the use of
contraceptives, I have not experienced
any side effect in my reproductive
system.
SD
A
D
SD
83
CLUSTER D
S/No The Influence of Family Planning on
the reproductive behaviour.
17
Constant practice of family planning
does not have any adverse effect on my
reproductive system.
18
Family planning helps to encourage
child spacing among couples during
their reproductive years.
19
Some religious upholds family planning
because it serves as a means of
disciplining some promiscuous
individual
20
Family planning helps couples to enjoy
their sexual life after giving birth to the
number of children they want.
SD
A
D
SD
84