1.1 Introduction
Family planning is the process of controlling the number of children wanted in a marriage using contraceptive method, often known as birth control measure. Jeoffery (2004) also support the view that family planning is a means by which individual or couples space the interval of child birth based on mutual agreement between the husband and wife in order to have children they can conveniently care or adequately cater for. The focus of this report is to understand the Determinants to Family Planning Choices among Women of Reproductive Age context in Northern Nigeria through a literature review. It will also assess changes in modern contraceptive use in Enugu States using household survey and facility-level data, and contextualize the quantitative findings with a qualitative study.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Rapid population increase in the world especially 3rd world countries has become a major concern which requires mitigation. High population leads to scramble for resources which are scarce. It is also difficult to plan how to divide national resources and has become a cause for decline in economy. High population has its advantages like increase of human labor but when it is more than the required it poses dangers of increase in crimes as a source of livelihood as well as increases in the number of street children hence the need to curb population growth for better economic management.
Contraceptive methods can be grouped into modern contraceptives which include; hormonal, sterilization and barrier methods while the traditional ones include withdrawal, rhythm and cycle methods. Unwanted pregnancies are a major public health problem for both developing and developed nations.
Unplanned/mistimed pregnancies generally result from ineffective use of contraceptives and result in induced abortions. Unintended pregnancies remain a major concern in developing countries with 120 million women wanting to postpone child bearing or limit the size of their families (Harrington et al, 2012). All the same contraceptive use in developing countries has reduced the number of maternal deaths by 44%(about 270,000 deaths averted in 2008) but could prevent 73% if the full demand for birth control were met, (Ehlers, 2009).
In 1954, Adeniyi Jones established the first family planning centre in Nigeria she continues without support until 1969 when pathfinder provide fund to sustain the programme. Fortunately for her in 1984 the family planning centre of Nigeria (FCN) was further organized for woman for better services. This include provision of family planning methods to improve maternal mortality and those with health risk 1989, president Ibrahim Babagida limited the number of children to 4 (four) per parent or couple, this programme was very good but could not be sustained because of poor service and management.
Family planning is not new in the society; it has been well established in developed countries that those under developed countries could not recognize that they are practicing family planning. It was such in the area of study that when a woman put to bed or deliver a baby she is sent to her mother to nurse the baby for one or two years. The period of stay with her mother was meant to breast feed the baby, after which she then return to her husband. This way natural child spacing was taking place without relishing it. However, family planning started in Nigeria because of the obvious problems of brutality means (violent) of born and unborn children. These reasons were based on child jumping that is a child that is unwanted can be dump into the street, gutter, mot, some are found in front of orphanage, bush part and to public toilet.
According to World Health Organization (WHO) (2002) conceptive is a drug or device used to prevent woman from getting pregnant, this can sometimes be called birth control according to (FPA) Family Planning Association. It is discussed as a special device that prevents fertilization of egg in the ovum by special device used to limit reproduction, which provide a safe and effective way to regulate fertility of the womb. Family is a unit that comprises of man, wife and children here the man is the head of the family or home he plan and place resources in strategic areas that requires development in the home.
Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Factors that Influence Choice of Contraceptive Methods by Women of Child Bearing Age Attending Family Planning Clinic.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation revealed that despite serious campaign programs to sensitize women of reproductive age to take up contraception and provision of contraceptive in public health facilities, there is still a rise in population at a rate of 2.9% per annum according to the Nigeria Bureau of statistics and other problems such as rise in the number of street children which negatively impact on economy and available resources, increased prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases and infections which are costly to treat, unwanted pregnancies leading to rise of death during abortions.
In the study, the researcher postulated the following research problem or identified the following problems;
- Women is often blame for the size of the family when the number of child is high.
- Women often complain of lack of support from their spouse or husband.
- Women do not relate the issues of contraceptive or family planning to spouse or husband until its result in an unwanted pregnancy.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to examine the Factors that Influence Choice of Contraceptive Methods by Women of Child Bearing Age Attending Family Planning Clinic. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To investigate the family planning acceptance level among Women of reproductive age attending post natal in the study area.
- To examine the level of family planning utilization among women of reproductive age attending post natal clinic.
- To find out reasons poor application of contraceptive (family planning) method in the area of study.
- To Proffer solution or recommendation that will further improve on the existing use of contraceptive method and to further open the eyes of the male folk in full participation in family planning.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- Is family planning utilized among women of reproductive age attending post natal clinic?
- If the man is the head of the family and he is to get the woman pregnant. Then why is women often blamed of the high number of children in family?
- What is the level of family planning acceptance among Women of reproductive age attending post natal in the study area?
- Apart from advising the man to adopt the use of condom and withdrawal method during sexual intercourse. Did the woman also advocate for other safe method of family planning and contraceptive?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
Hypothesis One
- H0: There are no significant factors affecting the utilization of contraceptive methods in family planning services among women of reproductive age attending Family Planning Clinic in Enugu State General Hospital
- H1: There are significant factors affecting the utilization of contraceptive methods in family planning services among women of reproductive age attending Family Planning Clinic in Enugu State General Hospital
1.7 Significance of Study
This study shall bring about recommendations that will serve as eye opener to the male folk in area of lacking active part or participation in family planning by bringing out the need for me to encourage their wife use of family planning method financial emotional, psychologically and emotionally.
This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.
1.8 Scope of the Study
The study focuses on the Factors that Influence Choice of Contraceptive Methods by Women of Child Bearing Age Attending Family Planning Clinic in Enugu State General Hospital.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
1.10 Definitions of Terms
Contraceptives: This refers to the several family planning methods that are available for use in controlling birth example; oral contraceptive pill, intrauterine contraceptive device etc.
Family planning: Refers to the practice of controlling the number of children rural women has and the interims between their births, mostly by means of contraception or voluntary sterilization so to improve family planning services and practices.
Factors: Are elements that brings about certain effects or results and also what could cause rural women not to embrace family planning services
Rural area: Refers to location outside towns and cities where women resides in low population density with less social and spatial mobility low social change; agriculture as the major preoccupation and less interest in family planning.
Methods: are procedures for accomplishing or approaching something or systematic way of involving women in rural area into family planning and established effectiveness of family planning.
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