Family Planning Education: How Do Adults Feel about It

Abstract

Attitudes of adults in the concerning family planning education and selected variables of sex age religion and occupation were studied. Data were collected by administering the Attitudes Toward Family Planning Education Scale an instrument with a modified Likert Scale and a certainty response framework and scoring. The Scale was administered to 335 adults: 129 males and 206 females. The subjects ranged in age from 20 to 79. 256 were married; 31 were single; and 48 had proviously been married but were not at the time of the study. 1% of this sample had no children; the mean family size for the rest of the respondents was 3.27. About 60% had at least 1 child still living at home. 1/3 live in a rural area. Slightly less than 30% were from upper occupational levels. Another 25% were from middle level occupations; about 10% were from low levels. 20% were housewives; over 11% were retired. Religious preferences were 63% Protestant; 24% Catholic and about 5% in each of other and none. The adults were generally moderately to strongly favorable toward the teaching and taking of family planning education and felt that such education would positively affect goals family size family intervention and communication. They similarly believed that the use of contraceptives was accepted. Sex differences were not strong in this study. All age groups favored family planning education. However persons 50 and above were generally less favorable. Some variation in attitudes appeared by religion. Catholics were less favorable toward family planning education. The attitudes of all religious groups were generally favorable. A positive relationship generally existed between occupational level and attitudes to family planning educaton. The higher the occupation the more positive the attitudes.