Sociocultural Factors Affecting Acceptance of Family Planning Services by Navajo Women

Abstract

Contraceptive usage among Navajo women in the Fort Defiance area of Arizona was investigated using data collected by interviewing 432 women who gave birth at Fort Defiance Hospital and 26% sample drawn from a group of 1800 women who were dropouts from a family planning program sponsored by the Navajo Nation Family Planning Cooperation. The latter group was divided into pill users pill user dropouts IUD users and IUD user dropouts and the differences between these groups were statistically analyzed. It was found that oral contraceptive dropouts were more likely to have a lower income live in houses lacking running water and sewage reside further from a clinic and live a mile or more from a paved road than women in the other three groups. Women who lived with their husbands or with their parents were less likely to use a contraceptive than were women who lived alone or with their children. Women who either stopped using a contraceptive method or changed to another method did so on the basis of information obtained from family members rather than on information derived through mass media or through counseling services. Considerable fear was expressed by all groups in regard to the use of contraceptives. In conclusion women displaying more Western type behavioral patterns were more likely to use contraceptives; women following traditional family patterns and those more in tune with the traditional Navajo view that pregnancy is a natural condition not to be avoided or tampered with were less likely to use contraceptives. Tables include 1) socioeconomic data by contraceptive usage; and 2) % of contraceptors by residence pattern.