Effects of health education on family planning for Quilombola adolescents: a quasi-experimental study

BackgroundIn Ethiopia, people with disabilities face socioeconomic disadvantages and they have a limited access to sexual and reproductive health information including family planning service. At present, however, there is a scarcity of research on the association between disability and family planning, and only limited data is available for disabled people in Ethiopia. Hence, this study assessed the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice of family planning and associated factors among disabled persons in North-shewa zone, Amhara regional state, Ethiopia.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted from June to October 2019. A total of 397 study participants were interviewed using a structured and pre-tested questionnaire. A multistage systematic sampling technique was employed to select study participants. Data were entered into Epi data and exported into Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 for analysis. Logistic regression was performed to analyze the data. A significant association was declared at a p-value of less than 0.05.ResultsForty-six percent of study participants were knowledgeable about family planning methods. The injectable was the most known method of modern contraception (74.8%) while withdrawal (18.1%) was the least known traditional family planning method. Fifty-five percent of our study participants had a good attitude about family planning methods and one-fourth (24.5%) of disabled persons currently utilized any method of family planning. Those having a good knowledge of family planning were 1.6 times more likely to utilize family planning methods than those having poor knowledge of family planning methods (AOR = 1.61, CI = 1.27, 16.24). Moreover, participants who completed college education were 7 times more likely to have a good knowledge of family planning methods than uneducated participants (AOR = 7.23; 95% CI = 2.28, 22.06).ConclusionsIn this study, the knowledge, attitude, and practice of disabled people about family planning methods were relatively low. Due attention should be given to ensure that disabled people are well informed about family planning methods through information, education, and communication activities.

Background:In Nigeria, contraceptive use has remained low, 12% for any modern method, despite the huge resources committed to family planning programs by stakeholders. This study was carried out to assess the knowledge and utilization of family planning and determine predictors of utilization of family planning among postpartum women attending primary health care centers (PHCs) in a selected rural area of Lagos State, southwest Nigeria.Methods:This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among 325 postpartum women attending PHCs in Ibeju-Lekki local government area of Lagos State selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. A pretested, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collate data which was analyzed using the IBM SPSS Statistics version 23.Result:The mean age was 29.94 ± 5.14 years. All the respondents (100%) had heard of contraceptive methods, however only 38 (11.7%) had good knowledge of family planning. About 38.5% of the respondents used modern family planning methods during the postpartum period. The most commonly used methods were male condoms (26.3%) and implants (17.0%). The significant predictors of postpartum family planning (PPFP) were non-intention to have more children [AOR = 1.88 (95% CI: 1.14–3.11)], and good knowledge of family [AOR = 2.31 (95% CI: 1.11–4.81)].Conclusion:It is recommended that interventions be designed to educate and advocate for the use of family planning methods not only to stop childbearing but also to space pregnancies. Education about family planning should also be intensified to improve knowledge of family planning, and thus practice.

Background and objectivePromotion of family planning has been shown to reduce poverty, hunger, maternal and infant mortality, and contribute to women’s empowerment. But many resource-limited countries still have very low rates of contraceptive use. The present study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of family planning among women living in a resource-poor rural setting.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study in January 2010 in the Mbouda Health District, Cameroon. After a multistage random selection, 120 households were selected. Participants were women aged at least 15 years old, sexually active, and who volunteered to participate in the study. Data were collected during an anonymous interview using a structured pre-tested questionnaire.ResultsA total of 101 women were enrolled, their ages ranging from 18–58 years with a mean of 31.7 ± 8.8 years. Ninety-six percent of these women had already heard about family planning. Almost all respondents (98 %) were aware of at least one contraceptive method, the most cited being the male condom (96 %), the safe period (86.1 %), injectables (76.2 %) and oral pills (75.2 %), Sixty-six women (65.3 %) were currently practicing at least one contraceptive method, and the three prevailing methods used were: the safe period (50 %), the male condom (34.8 %), and injectables (12.1 %). The main reasons precluding women from practicing contraception were lack of knowledge (31.4 %), uselessness (31.4 %) and unbearable side effects (8.6 %). Fourteen of these women (42.4 %) expressed the willingness to start practicing contraception if they received more information about the subject. Decision on the number of children to have was made by both the man and the woman in 59.5 % of cases. The practice of contraception had been decided by the couple in 39.6 % of cases, and 9.4 % of men were not aware that their wives were currently practicing contraception.ConclusionAlthough the level of awareness about family planning and contraceptive methods is quite satisfactory, the level of contraceptive use is not optimal in our setting. Consequently, more adapted educational and counseling interventions should be undertaken among women, and family planning messages directed to men need to be included too.

Background: Assessing community awareness and practice of the significance and methods of family planning is critical for improving the effectiveness and quality of services, policies, and planning, which has a positive impact on the health and quality of life of women, children, families, and communities.Objective: This study aims to determine Saudi population's knowledge, attitude, and practice of family planning in Al-Ahsa, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. The study included randomly selected participants (male and female Saudi primary health care attendees). All adult Saudi individuals of both genders attending primary health care centers were eligible for inclusion in this study. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 15 (Released 2006; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). Descriptive statistics for the prevalence and quantitative variables was used. Results: The study included 672 participants; 78.6% of them were females and 21.4% were males. 23.8% of participants aged between 20 and 30 years old. 73.8% of participants heard of family planning before. The source of information about family planning was reported as 36.9% from the Internet, 27.4% from relatives, 21.4% from the doctor, and 14.3% from books. 21.4% think that long-term contraceptive use led to permanent infertility. 81.0% of the participants said that they tend to use family planning methods. 78.6% of the participants have used a family planning method before, where 25.8% of the participants used natural contraception methods, 21.2% used surgical contraception, 27.3% used condoms, and 12.1% used hormonal tablets, while 13.6% used nothing. However, 65.2% currently use contraceptives. 31.8% use the natural method of family planning currently, 21.2% use surgical methods, and 6.1% use condoms.Conclusion: In comparison to many studies previously mentioned, the rate of family planning utilization was average, as was the level of knowledge and attitude toward family planning. However, there were some mistaken beliefs among participants regarding contraceptives. Age, gender, the duration of a marriage, education level, working status, and monthly income were all found to be significantly associated with knowledge of family planning.

Background: This article aims to understand the family planning (FP) knowledge and current use of contraception and its predictors among women of the Mru people -the most underprivileged indigenous community in Bangladesh. Methods: In this study 374 currently married Mru women were interviewed and selected purposively from three upazilas (administrative subdistricts) of the Bandarban area where most of the Mru people live. The association between the variables was assessed in bivariate analysis using the Chi-square test and binary logistic regression models were employed to explore the predictors of FP knowledge and current use of contraception among the Mru women. Results: Only about 40% of respondents had ever heard FP messages or about FP methods -two-fifths of the national figure (99.9%). The current use of contraception was much lower (25.1%) among the Mru people than at the national level (55.8%). Among both modern and traditional methods the contraceptive pill ranked first. About two-thirds (66.0%) of married women used this method -more than two times than the national figure (28.5%). On the other hand the prevalence of male methods was comparatively lower than at the national level. Logistic regression models revealed that place of residence religion age school attendance husbands school attendance service provided in the community distance to the service center and exposure to mass media had significant effects on knowledge of FP and on use of contraception. Conclusion: Education for mothers and vernacular language-based doorstep FP programs with special emphasis on awareness are suggested for the community.

Family planning significantly reduces maternal mortality and contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. However, the unmet need for family planning in Ghana is still relatively high. This study assessed the factors influencing the use of family planning in a resource-limited setting. The study used 384 adults (17-56 years) in the Navrongo central sub-municipality, selected using the multi-stage sampling method. Data was cleaned in Microsoft Excel 365 before being transferred to SPSS version 27 and R for analysis. Composite scores were determined and transformed into percentages. The percentage scores of more than 75% were coded as utilisation or good knowledge of modern family planning, depending on the specific section. The Pearson Chi-square test was performed to examine the relationship between the independent variables on overall utilisation and overall knowledge of family planning. Logistic regression and complementary log-log models were used to model the predictors of the utilisation and knowledge of modern family planning. All p-values ≤ 0.05 were deemed statistically significant. The overall utilisation of modern family planning was not very high (43.2%). Overall, the respondents showed good knowledge (81.3%) of modern family planning. Married young adults (RR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.39-3.27, p-value = 0.001) were more likely to utilise modern contraceptives. Male young adults are less likely to utilise family planning (RR = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.12-0.34, p < 0.001) than females. Those aged at least 37 years (RR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.11-2.71, p-value = 0.017) were more likely to have good knowledge of modern family planning than those aged 17 to 26 years. Compared with those with tertiary education, those below SHS (RR = 2.53, 95% CI: 1.54-4.31, p-value < 0.001) and those with SHS education (RR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.27-2.55, p-value = 0.001) were more likely to have good knowledge of modern family planning. Those with household income between 500 and 1000 (RR = 5.39, 95% CI: 2.18-17.99, p-value = 0.002) and household income more than 1000 cedis (RR = 5.12, 95% CI: 2.04-17.25, p-value = 0.003) were more likely to have good knowledge of family planning than those with household income below 500 cedis per month. This study revealed a high level of knowledge and relatively low utilization of modern family planning. Family planning interventions must incorporate behaviour change theoretical models to translate high knowledge to effective and sustained uptake of family planning among young adults in resource-limited settings.

BackgroundKnowledge of family planning (FP) is a key determinant of contraceptive use which ultimately plays a role in attainment of good health and in conduct of clinical research. People living in fishing communities (FCs) have limited access to health services including FP and are targeted for future clinical research but their knowledge of FP and its correlates are scantily known. We determined correlates of knowledge of FP among people living in FCs of L. victoria in Uganda to inform future FP education programs in FCs.MethodsWe conducted a comparative cross-sectional survey among participants aged 15–49 years from Kigungu and Nsazi. Participants were asked if they were aware of any FP method. All those who responded in the affirmative were further asked to mention what FP methods they had heard of or knew. Those who reported knowledge of at least one FP method were asked a series of questions about FP methods and their side effects. Knowledge was categorized into good or poor knowledge based on their mean total score. Poor knowledge constituted a score below the mean while good knowledge constituted a score of more than or equal to the mean total score. To further explore attitudes and perceptions of FP, ten in-depth interviews and four focus group discussions were conducted.ResultsOf the 1410 screened participants, 94.5% were aware of at least one FP method. Pills and injectable hormonal methods were the most commonly known methods. Slightly over a third (38%) had good knowledge of FP. Correlates of knowledge of FP were; being female (aOR: 1.92 95% CI: 1.39–2.67), residing in Kigungu (aOR: 4.01 95% CI: 2.77–5.81), being married (aOR: 1.59 95% CI: 1.11–2.28) and currently being in a sexual relationship (aOR: 1.75 95% CI: 1.18–2.60). Concerns about safety and effectiveness of some modern FP methods exist. Misconceptions on effects of FP like sterility, cancers and foetal abnormalities were common.ConclusionFP awareness among people living in FCs of L. Victoria in Uganda is high. However, good knowledge about specific methods tends to be low. Correlates of knowledge of FP include gender, residence, marital status and sexual engagement.

BackgroundUnmet need for family planning exceeds 33% in Uganda. One approach to decreasing unmet need is promoting male involvement in family planning. Male disapproval of use of family planning by their female partners and misconceptions about side effects are barriers to family planning globally and in Uganda in particular. Researchers have conducted a number of qualitative studies in recent years to examine different aspects of family planning among Ugandan men. The present study aimed to quantify men’s knowledge of family planning in rural Uganda to understand how better to involve men in couples’ contraceptive decision-making, particularly in low-resource settings.MethodsData were derived from in-person, researcher-administered surveys of men in a rural agrarian district in Uganda (N = 178). Participant demographics and knowledge of family planning methods, side effects, and use were queried. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis.ResultsMen were 34 years of age on average (range 18–71) and about half (56%) had a primary school education or less. Ninety-eight percent reported any knowledge of family planning, with 73% of men reporting obtaining information via radio and only 43% from health workers. The most common method known by men was the male condom (72%), but more than half also knew of injections (54%) and pills (52%). Relatively few men reported knowing about the most effective reversible contraceptive methods, intrauterine devices and implants (both 16%). Men identified many common contraceptive side-effects, such as vaginal bleeding (31%), and misconceptions about side effects, such as increased risk of infertility and birth defects, were relatively uncommon (both < 10%). About half of all men reported ever using a family planning method (53%), and 40% reported current use.ConclusionsThis study’s quantitative results build on those of recent qualitative studies and provide information about the types of family planning information men are lacking and avenues for getting this information to them.

Background: In Bangladesh, early marriage and childbearing has led to an adolescent fertility rate that is among the highest in the Asia pacific. More than half of the pregnancies (53%) among married adolescents in the country’s urban slums is being unintended and is largely due to non-use or discontinuation of use of modern contraceptive methods. This study was aimed to assess the effectiveness of a married adolescent girls’ club (MAG club) in terms of measuring differences in knowledge, attitude, practices, and unmet need for family planning among the married adolescent girls in urban slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methods: This was a quasi experimental study with post-test only control group design and was conducted from July 2014 – August 2016 among married adolescent girls’ (14-19 years) in four urban slums of Dhaka city (two intervention, two control) using both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. The intervention involved creation of a marriage adolescent girls’ club that included club sessions, club leaders, family planning pocket book, behaviour change communication materials, indoor games, edutainment activities (learning through drama, music) and assessment tests. Club sessions was conducted once in a month and continued over 12-months. The control areas had routine health and family planning services but no MAG Club. Evaluation of intervention was done through a community based survey with 1601 respondents (799 in intervention areas and 802 in control areas) and in-depth interviews with twenty respondents in the intervention areas. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s Chi-Square test, two sample independent t-tests, two sample proportion test, and Fisher’s exact test were used for quantitative data analysis. The intervention was considered to be effective if significant change in the key outcome indicators were observed in the experimental than in the control areas. p-value less than 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Content analysis was done to examine qualitative data. Results: Of 1601 respondents interviewed, majority (73%) was &gt;18 years, 26% was between 15-17 years, and the remaining was less than 15 years of age. Among all the respondents, 68% from the experimental area and 85% from the control area had no employment history; a significant difference was observed in types of work between the two groups. Mean age at marriage (with standard deviation) of the respondents was 14.6 (±1.6) years in experimental areas and 15.2 (±1.8) years in control areas. More than half of the respondents in both the areas had history of a single pregnancy. Nearly one-third (30.8%) of the respondents in the experimental area and around one-fifth (18.6%) of the respondents in the control area had history of 2 or more pregnancies. Almost all the respondents (1601) could mention oral pill as a contraceptive method. Significant difference in knowledge on other contraceptive methods was observed between the two groups. Knowledge difference on potential problems of adolescent pregnancy was also found significantly higher in intervention areas than the control areas. A few (0.9%) of the respondents in the experimental areas and 4.5% of the respondents in the control areas did not support family planning method use. Major reasons for not supporting family planning method use included misconceptions and myths around side effects of methods, religious prohibition and perceived risks of method failure. Respondents in the experimental area discussed more about family planning methods with their husbands (97.5%) compared to their counterparts in the control area (84.7%). Any modern family planning method use was also found significantly higher (72.6%) among respondents in the experimental area than that of the control area (63.5%). Proportion of unmet need for family planning was found significantly lower among respondents in the experimental area (16.2%) than that of the control area (20.7%). Findings from in-depth interviews showed that the MAG club empowered the respondents with the rare opportunity to assemble in a common platform to socialize and to share their experiences and challenges related to early marriage, early pregnancy and family planning. The MAG club has also provided with the opportunity to the married adolescent girls to open up, spread time and make a social network with their peers. Conclusion and recommendations: A noteworthy number of married adolescent girls had received family planning information from the MAG club that had significant effects in their reproductive lives. The MAG club played a substantial role in reducing unmet need for family planning among the target population. It is important to design sustainable programs and interventions like the MAG club, and thus integrate them in the existing formal healthcare system to increase family planning method utilization among the married adolescent girls in urban slums of Bangladesh which in turn will help in reducing unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortions related maternal morbidity and mortality. To measure the effect of integrated intervention package in terms of reducing unmet need for family planning and unintended pregnancy, a longer duration follow up research study should also be carried out.

IntroductionIt is necessary to understand religious leaders’ perceptions of modern contraceptive use and their role in influencing fertility behaviour for the successful adoption of family planning, especially in societies where the religious leaders’ opinions can have a significant influence on individuals’ reproductive decisions. This study, therefore, aimed to assess religious leaders’ knowledge of family planning and their involvement in family planning programmes in the Sahel region of Burkina Faso.MethodsThis is a qualitative study comprising in-depth individual interviews with twenty-one religious’ leaders in the town of Dori in the Sahel region of Burkina Faso. An interview guide was used for data collection. This interview guide was developed based on the central themes and sub-themes determined for the research, namely, the religious leaders’ knowledge of modern contraception, the inclusion of information on modern contraception during religious activities and the relationship between religious leaders and reproductive health services. All interviews were recorded and transcribed in French using Microsoft Word. The verbatims were then coded for content analysis. The analysis method chosen was that of thematic analysis.ResultsThe results of the study showed that religious leaders had good knowledge about family planning including modern contraceptive methods and fertility regulation through birth spacing. Regarding their involvement in family planning programme, religious leaders said they were not involved enough. However, the results of the study showed that leaders are reluctant to promote the use of FP methods.ConclusionAlthough religious leaders are knowledgeable about family planning, they are still reluctant to promote the use of modern contraceptive methods in their communities. To do so, efforts are needed to sensitise and mobilise them in family planning programmes. The cooperation of local religious leaders will help promote family planning and improve Burkina Faso’s performance on the Sustainable Development Goals through the achievement of the demographic dividend in the country.

IntroductionFamily planning knowledge and access to quality family planning services occupy a central position in the lives of all women of reproductive age. However, women with mental illness and epilepsy who are at a high risk of sexual violence, unwanted pregnancies, poor obstetric outcomes, and drug interaction consequences, need it the most. Understanding their family planning knowledge and utilization remains crucial for meeting their needs. The present study aims to assess knowledge, use of family planning, and associated factors among women living with mental illness and epilepsy who attend the Ndera Neuropsychiatric Hospital and affiliated branches.MethodologyA cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2022 and February 2023. The study involved a purposive sample of 289 women who attended the Ndera Neuropsychiatric Hospital and its two affiliated branches during the data collection period. Psychiatric nurses administered a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the factors associated with the use of family planning methods.ResultsOut of 289 who participated in the study, the majority (96.9%) were aware of family planning methods, most (67.8%) had used one method once in their life course, a half (51.9%) were using a family planning method at the time of data collection, and a slight number (26%) expressed intentions of using a family planning method in the future. The most known and used methods were respectively the injectable (17.5%) and oral contraceptive pill (17.5%). Regarding the natural family planning methods, breastfeeding and withdrawal were less used. Being single (AOR = 66.4, 95% CI: 9.8, 44) or married (AOR = 51.4, 95% CI: 11.9–22), having a primary level of education (AOR = 5.6, 95% CI: 2.0, 15.9), knowing a contraceptive method (AOR = 5.8, 95% CI: 0.6, 49) and suffering from brief psychotic disorders (AOR = 2.7, 95% CI: 1.1, 6.6) predicted a higher utilization of family planning.ConclusionMost of the women with mental illness in this study were aware of family planning methods and had used one of the family planning methods in life. The national average is below when it comes to family planning awareness. It is important to improve family planning education and counseling for women who attend psychiatric outpatient clinics.

IntroductionThe rapid growth of the Saudi Arabian economy led to socio-demographic changes, with an increasing need for birth spacing and the use of contraceptives. This study evaluated the knowledge, attitude, and practice of contraception use in the Makkah region of Saudi Arabia.MethodsThis cross-sectional study used an online questionnaire involving women aged 18-49 in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Descriptive analyses were performed and the Chi-squared test was used to compare variables. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsThe study included 352 women aged 32±9.1 years with a response rate of 91%. Among them, 72.1% had a diploma or bachelor's degree, and two-thirds were married (63.4%). Nearly all respondents had heard of contraception before (96.9%). However, only 44.3% knew contraception is a method of family planning, and 23.9% knew it prevents unwanted pregnancy. During the period of conducting the research, 37.8% reported using some contraception. Oral contraceptive pills (OCP) (97.2%, 33.8%), intrauterine devices (IUD) (97.2%, 22.7%), and male condoms (92.9%, 16.9%) were the most known and popular contraception methods used. Respondents' primary sources of information regarding contraception were relatives or friends (38.3%) and websites (30.2%), and 61.9% needed education on family planning. We found that women with multiple children were significantly more likely to practice family planning (p=0.005).ConclusionWe found that participants were aware of and had a good attitude toward family planning. However, they had poor knowledge and poor practice of family planning. Raising awareness and education are recommended to improve knowledge and practice of family planning.

Family planning services need to be available to all individuals who are of reproductive age. This study determined the effect of health education on knowledge of Family planning (FP) and perceptions (susceptibility, barriers, seriousness and benefits) of FP methods. A quantitative approach of quasi-experimental design was adopted, for the study. Data were collected again using validated questionnaires from both groups after the intervention and three months follow-up for the intervention groups and after three months for the control groups. Data were analyzed with the aid of IBM SPSS version 23. There was no significant difference between intervention and control groups concerning the baseline variables. Post-intervention showed that the FP knowledge changed significantly in the intervention group (p < 0.05). Findings regarding the effect on perceived susceptibility suggested that the participant in the intervention group reported a positive perceived susceptibility to pregnancy (without FP usage) compared to the control group at three months following the intervention (89.2%). The present study findings indicate that FP education intervention designed based on the theory of health belief model is effective in improving knowledge and perceived susceptibility of FP.

The contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) is a key indicator for measuring improvements in access to reproductive health. In Nigeria, the average CPR remains low at 17%, with wide variability in the knowledge of family planning (FP) methods across the states and communities. Thus, this study set out to 1. Determine the Contraceptive prevalence rate among women of the reproductive age groups (WRAGs) in Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) in Abuja. 2. Assess the knowledge of family planning and its methods among WRAGs in PHCs in Abuja. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among WRAG in two PHCs in Abuja. A simple random method was used to select 400 WRAGs, and the information from participants was captured with a pre-tested structured questionnaire. SPSS version 21.0 was used for data analysis, the hypothesis was tested with chi-square, and the results were significant at p-value &lt; 0.05. The study analyzed 375 valid and complete questionnaires; the mean age was 30 ± 6.29 years, and 90.7% of respondents had at-least secondary school education. The CPR was 36%, and the most common FP methods were male condoms (11.6%), injectable birth control (5.4%), female condoms (4.7%), and implants (4.0%). About 66% of participants had good knowledge of FP methods, and this was associated with increased uptake of contraceptives. The CPR found in this study is considerably higher than the Nigeria national average. The finding aligns with the reported good knowledge of family planning and high literacy level. Furthermore, good knowledge of FP methods was significantly associated with increased contraceptive uptake. Keywords: Abuja, Contraceptive prevalence, Knowledge of family planning, Primary healthcare centers, Women of reproductive age group.

This study examines the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice of family planning among postsecondary female students in an urban area of Anambra State, Nigeria. Although only a few of the women sampled expressed knowledge of modern contraceptive methods, the majority had favorable attitudes toward family planning. Among those who had knowledge of family planning, those who had attended a coeducational secondary school were more familiar with modern contraceptive methods, and those who had attended an all-girls' secondary school were more familiar with the rhythm method. Of the 23.3 percent who had ever practiced family planning, almost half had used rhythm; only a very small minority had ever used the pill. Among those who had ever used contraception and who had a positive attitude toward family planning, the greatest proportion was made up of older, married Protestant women.