Awareness and Utilization of Family Planning Among Married Women in the Traditional Core Areas of Ibadan, Oyo State

Abstract

The study examined the awareness and utilization of family planning among married women in the traditional core areas of Ibadan, Oyo State. Data was collected through the administration of 136 copies of structure questionnaire to married women in five selected traditional core areas. Result showed that the utilization of family planning methods was low among married women in Opo Yiosa (9%) and Ayeye (11.2%), but high in Mapo, Oja Oba and Inalende with utilization rates of 31.5%, 29.2% and 19.1% respectively. Oral contraceptive pills, injectable contraceptives and IUCD were mostly used, while implant was not widely used. Fear of infertility, associated side effects and husband’s influence were major barriers to women use of family planning measures. Logistic regression result showed that the socioeconomic characteristics of married women were responsible for 12.6 per cent of the use of family planning. The Wald criterion showed that monthly income of N10,000 – N20, 000 (X 2 = 5.317, p 0.05). EXP (B) value further indicated that the monthly income (N10, 000 – N20, 000) of married women in the traditional core areas of Ibadan was 3 more times likely to predict the use of family planning. The study recommends the need to increase the campaign on the use of family planning methods in the traditional core areas of Ibadan mostly in Opo Yiosa and Ayeye where the level of utilisation is still low. Keywords: Family planning, Traditional Core Areas, Ibadan, Contraceptives, Awareness, Utilization