Awareness Of Family Planning Methods Research Articles

ASSESSMENT OF AWARENESS AND UTILIZATION OF FAMILY PLANNING METHODS AMONG ELIGIBLE COUPLES OF RURAL FILED PRACTICE AREA, KORWAR, KALABURAGI

Objective: The present study was conducted to assess the awareness about the family planning methods and to estimate the utilization of various family planning methods among rural population in Korwar, Kalaburagi. Methods: This was a community based cross-sectional study conducted in Korwar, a rural field practice area of ESIC Medical College, Kalaburagi district, Karnataka. The data were collected from 210 eligible couples using predesigned semi-structured questionnaire by house-to-house visit. The data collected were entered in MS Excel and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software. Results: The majority (80%) of the men and women were aware about family planning methods in our study and its utilization was 75.2%. There was a significant association between gender, education, number of living children, and awareness of family planning methods, whereas association between religion, education, and utilization of methods was found to be statistically significant. Conclusion: Although the awareness regarding family planning is on positive side there is definitely hesitancy noted for the utilization of the same. Awareness activities and practices should be promoted at individual and family level in the community.

The Role of Digital Tools in Raising Public Awareness of Family Planning Methods in Tanzania

To address the various complications resulting from poor family planning, the government, and other stakeholders are tirelessly conducting campaigns that will boost awareness and the uptake of family planning methods in society. Apart from the traditional channels of disseminating family planning information such as the use of television and radio, much attention has been directed into the use of digital tools. Following this, the study aimed at examining the role of digital tools in raising public awareness of family planning methods in Tanzania. The study employed a mixed research design that gave out room for collecting and analysing data quantitatively and qualitatively. The main targeted population was the residents who are of reproductive age and a total of 100 residents were contacted. The data collected were analysed descriptively through the use of frequencies and tables. This part mostly included quantitative data. On the other hand, content analysis was applied in analysing the qualitative data. The findings relating to the general objective revealed that digital tools had the potential of playing a great role in disseminating information concerning family planning methods and other related campaigns. The findings revealed that the respondents preferred the use of digital tools in obtaining family planning information compared to the predominantly traditional channels such as television and radio. The study recommended putting more emphasis on the use of digital tools in disseminating family planning information rather than the predominantly traditional channels. In addition, the study recommended more training to the youth and those who are on reproductive health by conducting various social campaigns tailored in promoting awareness of family planning agendas.

Understanding Multifaceted Determinants of Contraceptive Utilization among Adolescent Females: Insights from Wakiso District, Uganda

Despite global efforts to enhance contraceptive utilization, adolescent females in Uganda face persistent challenges accessing and utilizing modern contraceptive methods, resulting in high fertility rates and maternal mortality. This cross-sectional study investigated the intricate factors influencing contraceptive usage among adolescent females attending Kasangati Health Center IV in Wakiso District, Uganda. Employing questionnaire-based surveys, the study targeted adolescent females attending the health center, utilizing simple random sampling to select 220 participants, as determined by Fisher's formula. Data analysis was conducted using Microsoft Excel and SPSS version 20, presenting comprehensive findings through tables, pie charts, bar graphs, and narratives. The study uncovered a concerning contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) of 19% among adolescent females, despite existing awareness of family planning methods. Key determinants of contraceptive usage included limited knowledge about contraception, constrained access to services, entrenched societal norms, and gender dynamics. The findings highlight the urgent need to address these multifaceted barriers to enhance contraceptive utilization and mitigate unmet needs among adolescent females. The study's recommendations encompass targeted educational campaigns, improved accessibility of family planning services, and fostering the engagement of both genders in reproductive health decision-making processes. Ethical considerations were meticulously observed, with informed consent obtained from participants and ethical approval secured from relevant authorities. This study contributes seminal insights into the complex landscape of contraceptive utilization among adolescent females in Uganda, offering critical guidance for policy formulation and programmatic interventions aimed at improving reproductive health outcomes and curtailing maternal mortality rates. Keywords: Contraceptive utilization, Adolescent females, Reproductive health, Family planning, Wakiso District and Uganda

THE AWARENESS AND PRACTICES OF POSTNATAL CARE IN MOTHERS DELIVERED AT A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE: A HOSPITAL-BASED STUDY Authors

Introduction: The postpartum period is the most crucial phase in a mother’s life. The unawareness of postpartum care can have disastrous consequences on both the mother and newborn. This study helps in the identification of gaps in postpartum care by studying awareness and practices in our postnatal women. Methods: This cross-sectional studywas conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Delhi, India between July 2022 to May 2023.Ethical clearance was obtained. About 200 postnatal women were enrolled in the postnatal clinic during their follow-up visit at six weeks of delivery. After informed consent,the details were collected as per the predesigned proforma. The awareness and practices on breastfeeding, family planning, and postpartum health were recorded. Results: Among 200 women, the majority were in the age group of 25 to 30 years. About 51% were multipara and 33.5% were graduates and most belonged to upper lower socioeconomicclass. About 86.5% were aware of exclusive breastfeeding practice and 81.5% had awareness of family planning methods. About 73% of our participants were aware of postnatal danger signs. The prevalence of anemia was 70.4% and 56.5% were noncompliant with iron and calcium supplements. Conclusion: Postnatal care constitutes an indispensable component of maternal health care. The high prevalence of postpartum anemia and non-compliance to iron and calcium intake among our postnatal mothers calls for an urgent need to emphasize counseling regarding the diet as well as iron and calcium prophylaxis during the discharge of postnatal women.

A Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Planned Teaching Programme on Knowledge Regarding Family Planning Methods among Eligible Couple in Selected Urban Area of Gwalior City (M.P.)

Family planning is critical for limiting population increase and promoting family well-being. However, there is a dearth of awareness and information about various family planning options among eligible couples in many urban areas. The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of a planned training programme on understanding of family planning methods among eligible couples in a designated urban region of Gwalior City, Madhya Pradesh. Purpose of The Study-The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of a planned education programme in improving eligible couples' awareness of family planning methods. Methodology- For this investigation, a pre-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design will be used. A handy sample of eligible couples dwelling in Gwalior City's specified urban region will be included. The planned teaching programme, which will include structured sessions on various family planning methods, their benefits, risks, and proper use, will be executed. A systematic questionnaire will be used to collect data before and after the instructional programme. The data will be analysed statistically using relevant methodologies. Results: This study's findings will shed light on how well the proposed teaching programme will go in educating eligible couples about family planning options. The degree of knowledge increase will be shown by comparing the pretest and posttest results. Conclusion-The study's findings will help comprehend how a planned training programme would affect how well-informed eligible couples in an urban area are about family planning options. The findings can be used to guide the creation of focused educational initiatives and regulations that support family planning and reproductive health in contexts like these.

Assessment of Knowledge, Awareness, and Use of Family Planning Methods Among Residents in Iringa Municipality

A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in the Iringa Municipality with 100 women of childbearing age aged 18 to 45 years. Levels of knowledge and awareness of family planning methods were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire. As a result, it was found that the majority of 94(94%) of the surveyed population said they were well-informed about family planning methods and had good attitudes and awareness of contraceptives. Of the methods presented, male condoms, injections, and implants were familiar and used by the majority of participants. Of the 100 participants, 85(85%) used modern family planning techniques and 71(83.5%) of them reported having used services at a health facility. However, the remaining 15(15%) of respondents indicated that they did not use family planning for religious and cultural reasons. Modern contraceptive technology is available, accessible, and proven to be used. Therefore, more education is needed for communities on the importance of using permanent modern strategies, including sterilization. Getting men involved is also important.

Contraceptive practices among women of reproductive age in Mbeya, Tanzania

Background: Non-utilisation of contraceptive contribute to unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions, which are major public health problems in Tanzania and sub-Saharan Africa. Our study investigated contributing factors and contraceptive use practices among women of reproductive age in Mbeya, Tanzania.
 Methods: A hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on women attending reproductive and child health clinics. Data obtained included participants’ age, education and other demographic characteristics. Awareness of family planning methods, use, attitudes, advocacy and practices were also recorded. A χ2 test was used to examine the association between selected variables. 
 Results: A total of 217 respondents participated in the study, of which the majority were between the ages of 21 and 26 (mean age = 26.96, standard deviation = 1.37). The majority of the respondents, 157 (72.4%) were married with mostly 1-2 children and had a primary school education or without formal education, 155 (71.4%). 191 (88.0%) respondents had heard about at least one contraceptive for family planning. Injectable was the most known method of family planning, as reported by 158 (72.8%) participants. Awareness about family planning methods and use was significantly associated with educational level (χ2 = 43.01, p = 0.0002).
 Conclusion: Our study shows awareness and willingness to use family planning methods in Mbeya. Hence, it promotes a better life for families. However, more studies are needed to thoroughly investigate the various reasons affecting some non-utilisation of family planning and how these can be addressed.

Perception and intention to use reproductive life plan among female final year undergraduates of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to assess perception (of) and intention to use reproductive life plan among 500 female final year undergraduates of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Only 22% of the respondents were aware of RLP and 63% had good perception of RLP. Most (85.1%) had the intention to plan their pregnancy and 64.5% intended to use RLP as a tool for planning pregnancy. More respondents (85.8%) who were aware of family planning methods had intention to plan their pregnancy compared to those that were not (61.5%; p = .015). Similarly, 65.8% of respondents who were aware of family planning methods had intention to use RLP compared to 23.1% of those who were not (p = .002). Respondents’ awareness of the concept of RLP was poor and majority agreed to use RLP as a tool for planning pregnancy. Awareness of family planning methods was associated with intention to use RLP. Impact Statement What is already known on this subject? Reproductive life plan (RLP) is a tool for setting goals in terms of childbearing. It outlines personal goals about pregnancy which includes having the desired number of children, avoiding unintended pregnancies and avoiding ill health that may threaten reproduction. RLP is a useful tool in preconception and the tool can adequately prepare young unmarried girls for motherhood, thus reducing the high rate of unintended pregnancy which remains a public health and social challenge especially in low income settings including Nigeria. What do the results of this study add? This study has been able to bridge an existing gap in knowledge because no study has been conducted to assess the perception of RLP and intention to use it as a preconception tool in Nigeria. The results provided new information on the perception and intention to use reproductive life plan among female final year undergraduate students of University of Ibadan, Nigeria. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? The use of RLP serves as health promotion strategy to improve the health of each woman prior to conception by planning their pregnancies, identifying risk factors, providing education and stabilising medical conditions so as to optimise maternal and foetal outcomes.

A Cross Sectional Study on Awareness Level of Family Planning Methods in Primigravida in Rural India

Background: Family planning suggests the capacity of population to envision and accomplish their ideal number of children by spacing and timing their births which can be accomplished using distinctive contraceptive techniques. The accessibility of family planning limits the family size as well as protects individual well being and rights. Family planning is the most significant determinant of fertility. This study aimed to study the level of awareness of family planning methods among Primigravida in central rural India.
 Methodology: The study investigator will collect all the required details on a structured pretested questionnaire - demographic details (hospital number, age, education level, occupation, place of residence (urban or rural), socio economic status (Modified Kuppuswamy scale)etc. As per modified Kuppuswamy scale, the socio economic status will be defined as Upper Class (26-29), Upper middle (16-25), Lower Middle (11-15), Upper lower (5-10), Lower(Below 5) for present study. The study investigator will also collect data regarding knowledge of primigravida towards population problems, their attitude towards population problems and practice of family planning methods by them.
 Results: We expect lack of awareness about family planning methods in Primigravida in central rural India.
 Conclusion: This study is likely to highlight the awareness levels of family planning methods amongst primigravida presenting to our tertiary care teaching hospital in central rural India.

Family Planning: Popular Methods and Their Effects

The number of children directly affects the health and nutritional status of mother. For a healthy child, the mother should be healthy and this could be possible with planned pregnancies or avoiding unwanted pregnancies by use of family planning methods. The present study was undertaken to investigate the methods of family planning used and their effect on the health of a woman. The study was carried out in the city of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, India. The study was cross-sectional and comprised of 220 married women aged 25-40 years, who voluntarily agreed to participate in the study. The respondents were randomly selected, with the exclusion criteria for unmarried, widow, divorcee women, or those who were not living with their husbands. The results showed that the respondents were aware of the family planning concept. The best source of information regarding family planning was media (36.36%); and the maximum of them preferred the permanent method (40.45%) as the method of contraception. Only a few of them (38.64%) were aware of government policies and plans related to family planning. 26.37% of respondents felt that they were having health problems by using contraceptive methods. The health problems were observed among the respondents using Intra-Uterine Devices (58.49%) and oral contraceptive pills (41.51%). Age and nutritional status of the mother during conception both contribute to the health and nutritional status of the child. Government should establish policies related to exposure of married couples towards family planning methods along with easy access to family planning methods especially for the lower class people. Also, more in-depth study of the use and awareness of family planning methods should be done as it is essential for the well-being of the mother, child, and family and even society as a whole. Keywords: Family planning; Family planning methods; Contraception; Intra-uterine devices; Contraceptive Pills

Factors influencing the use of modern contraceptive in Nigeria: a multilevel logistic analysis using linked data from performance monitoring and accountability 2020

BackgroundThe population of Nigeria is estimated at over 190 million and it is projected to increase by 44% between 2015 and 2030. However, less than one-quarter of women within reproductive age in Nigeria uses modern contraceptive methods despite its importance. Hence, this study aims at examining the influence of individual and community level factors on the use of modern contraceptive method.MethodsThe study is a secondary analysis of linked household and Service Delivery Point datasets from a 2018 survey conducted by Performance, Monitoring and Accountability in Nigeria. Data was abstracted for a total of 9126 sexually active women within the ages of 15–49 years across 295 enumeration areas in seven States. A 2-level binary logistic regression was used to examine the association between study variables and the use of modern contraceptives while adjusting for the clustering effect.ResultsThere was significant influence of educational level, marital status, parity, socio-economic status, fertility intention, and awareness of family planning methods on the use of modern contraceptives. Also, women who perceived support from someone in the community on family planning were more likely to use modern contraceptive unlike those without such support. Those who believed that contraceptive methods are used by almost all and some of their friends or relatives were more likely to use modern contraceptive compared to those who think otherwise.ConclusionsThe study shows the need to reduce inequalities between FP utilization across women with different socio-economic status as well as increasing the awareness for modern contraceptive methods.

A survey on the knowledge, attitude and acceptance of male sterilzation among men in Ogbomoso, South West Nigeria

Background: Traditionally, majority of the family planning services and campaigns focus on women without much consideration given to their male partners. In our society, there is bias, myth and misconception about vasectomy, this has resulted in a significant reduction in the willingness of men to seek vasectomy as a means of family planning. This study aims to identify the level of awareness and acceptance of male sterilization among men in Ogbomoso, south west Nigeria. Methods: This study was a cross sectional survey carried out among men in Ogbomoso, participation was voluntary and three hundred men had the questionnaires complete and suitable for analysis. Result: This study revealed a high level of awareness of family planning methods among men in Ogbomoso. However, less than half of these men agreed that men should be involved in family planning despite a higher number of the respondents being aware of vasectomy as a means of contraception. The common reasons for not accepting of vasectomy varied from preference for other methods of contraception, cultural taboos, religious sentiments, similarity to castration , fear for surgery and surgical complications. Conclusion: Renewed effort has to be made which will be aimed at improving the level of information about vasectomy in the public domain especially by the media and health care workers. This effort should also be targeted at religious organizations, clerics and traditional institutions this is because most of these misconceptions have deep rooted religious and cultural sentiments. This can also be achieved by ensuring synergy between government, non governmental organizations,advocacy groups,traditional and religious rulers. Keywords: knowledge, attitude, acceptance, vasectomy, male sterilization

Contraceptive knowledge, attitude and practice among married women of reproductive age group in a rural area of Karnataka: a cross sectional study

Background: India was the first country to implement Family Planning Programme in 1952. The extent of acceptance of contraceptive methods still varies within societies and also among different religious groups. Objectives: To determine knowledge, attitude, practice regarding contraceptive use among married women of reproductive age group in a rural area of Karnataka.Methods: A community based, cross sectional study was conducted among 200 married women of reproductive age group residing in a rural area of Karnataka. Data regarding knowledge, attitude, practice of contraceptive methods was collected using a predesigned questionnaire prepared in local language. Institutional ethical committee approval, informed consent from the study participants was taken and anonymity, confidentiality was ensured.Results: Out of 200 study participants, 81% had knowledge and awareness of family planning methods, positive attitude for contraceptive use was shown by 76% of study participants, 53% were practicing different contraceptive methods.Conclusions: Women education and counseling of couples can play an important role to adopt family planning methods.

Awareness, practice, and predictors of family planning by pregnant women attending a tertiary hospital in a semi-rural community of North-West Nigeria

Background : Nigeria’s maternal and perinatal health status is still among the poorest in the world, with a poor contraceptive prevalence rate and a high fertility rate. Aim : The aim of this study was to assess the level of awareness of family planning methods among women attending antenatal care, its uptake, and predictors of use. Subjects and Methods : This was a descriptive cross-sectional study, carried out at the antenatal clinic of Federal Medical Centre, Birnin Kudu, Jigawa state, Nigeria, using an interviewer administered questionnaire to assess the awareness and practice of family planning methods among 350 pregnant women, whom were selected through a systematic sampling technique from June 19, 2012, to August 26, 2012. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relative effect of determinants, adjusting for other predictor variables. Results : Of the 350 respondents, 319 (92%) had heard of family planning, of which 29% had ever used a method and the injectables were the most common method used. The use of family planning methods was significantly associated with respondents’ ethnicity, occupation, and level of education (P ≤ 0.05). The odds ratio of not using family planning methods was 2 times higher in women with informal education (adjusted odds ratio = 2.12; 95% confidence interval = 1.1–3.8). Conclusion : Awareness of family planning methods was high among the respondents surveyed, but the utilization was poor. Female education and empowerment would help to promote uptake in this setting. KEY WORDS: Awareness, family planning, Nigeria, North-West, practice, predictor

Awareness and practice patterns of family planning methods among antenatal women in Indian community: Are we hitting the bull's eye?

A questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey was undertaken to assess the awareness and practice patterns of family planning among the antenatal women in North India. The study included 400 respondents. Three-fourths of the respondents (74.2%, n = 297) were aware of family planning methods. Condoms were the most commonly used family planning method (78.2%), while intrauterine devices and oral contraceptive pills were used by 25.5% and 16.7% respondents, respectively. The main reasons cited for not using contraception were inadequate knowledge and fear of side-effects. Post counseling, 90.5% (n = 362) of the respondents clearly conveyed their desire to use one of the family planning methods in the postpartum period. Awareness and acceptance of family planning methods in the Indian community needs strengthening. Family planning counseling during antenatal check-up is likely to increase the acceptance of family planning methods in the postpartum period.

English

OBJECTIVE: To assess the needs of contraception and usage of contraception by finding knowledge, attitude regarding family planning and the practice of contraceptives among rural women of India. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional observational study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: The gynaecological outpatient clinic of SGT Hospital, Budhera, Gurgaon, Haryana from January to June 2014. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 100 women between the ages 15-45, living with their husbands and coming from rural area (villages) were interviewed. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Women who were pregnant 2. Women having a child younger than 2 years 3. Women having any medical disorder Their knowledge, attitude and practice on contraceptives were evaluated with the help of a predesigned and pretested questionnaire. The other variables used were the age of women, parity and educational status. Descriptive analysis was conducted to obtain percentages. RESULTS: Out of 100 interviewed women most women were in 21-30years age group, 36% women were completely illiterate, and 64% had primary education. 52% were <3 parity. Out of 100 women interviewed 80 (80%) had heard/aware of family planning method (permanent/temporary). Out of 80 women, who had knowledge and awareness of family planning methods about 34(42.5%), 20(25%) and 26(32.5%) got information from media, health personal and social circle (husband, mother/ in laws) respectively. Out of 100 women interviewed, 58(58%) were practicing different contraceptive methods. Tubal ligation, barrier contraception, IUCD were used by 20(34.48%) 15(25.86%), and 12(20.68) respectively in order of preference. The main reason of using contraception was completion of their family in 30(51.72%). Only 15(25.86%) women used various methods for spacing. Only 7(12.06%) used OCP as a contraceptive method. Positive attitude towards contraception was shown by 72(72%) of women, while 44(44%) stated their husbands’ positive attitude towards contraception. CONCLUSION: The study highlights that there is a need to increase knowledge and awareness but knowledge and awareness do not always lead to a positive attitude towards the use of contraceptives. To increase the number of couples using contraception there has to be a combined approach to increase knowledge, awareness, positive attitude and great motivation and support from health department. There appears a need for continuing education about sexuality and contraception. Also there is a need to motivate the youth for effective and appropriate use of contraceptives and arrest the trend towards unwanted pregnancy and increase in population. There is need for focused awareness program based on the knowledge gaps reported among women in reproductive age group.

Impact of having a high-risk pregnancy on future postpartum contraceptive method choice

BackgroundTo compare the knowledge and preference of preconceptional contraception to future postpartum contraceptive method choice in high-risk pregnancies. Research questionDoes a high-risk pregnancy condition affect future postpartum contraceptive method choice? MethodWomen hospitalised at the High Risk Pregnancy unit of a tertiary research and training hospital were asked to complete a self-reported questionnaire that included demographic characteristics, presence of unintended pregnancy, contraceptive method of choice before the current pregnancy, plans for contraceptive use following delivery and requests for any contraceptive counselling in the postpartum period. FindingsA total of 655 pregnant women were recruited. The mean age, gravidity and parity of the women were 27.48±6.25 years, 2.81±2.15 and 1.40±1.77, respectively. High-risk pregnancy indications included 207 (31.6%) maternal, 396 (60.5%) foetal and 52 (7.9%) uterine factors. All postpartum contraceptive choices except for combined oral contraceptives (COCs) usage were significantly different from preconceptional contraceptive preferences (p<0.001). High-risk pregnancy indications, future child bearing, ideal number of children, income and education levels were the most important factors influencing postpartum contraceptive choices. While the leading contraceptive method in the postpartum period was long-acting reversible contraceptive methods (non-hormonal copper intrauterine device Cu-IUD, the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) (40%), the least preferred method was COCs use (5.2%) and preference of COCs use showed no difference between the preconceptional and postpartum periods (p=0.202). Overall 73.7% of the women wanted to receive contraceptive counselling before their discharge. ConclusionA high-risk pregnancy condition may change the opinion and preference of contraceptive use, and also seems to affect the awareness of family planning methods.

Factors associated with family planning uptake among women in South West Nigeria

Despite high levels of awareness of family planning methods in many developing countries including Nigeria, contraceptive prevalence rate still remains low. A determination of the factors that influence female decision making to adopt family planning methods is crucial in order to tailor programmatic approaches that will enhance utilization. This study was aimed at identifying factors associated with family planning uptake among women in South West.

MODELLING GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATIONS AND DETERMINANTS OF USE OF MODERN FAMILY PLANNING METHODS AMONG WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE IN NIGERIA

Summary Understanding the level, trend, geographical variations and determinants of use of modern family planning (FP) plays a major role in designing effective interventions leading to increased usage. This study assessed these characteristics of FP use in Nigeria using data from the 2003, 2005 and 2007 National HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Health Survey, a national population-based household survey. A Bayesian geo-additive procedure was used, which provides flexible modelling of non-linear and spatial effects at a highly disaggregated level of states. The findings reveal considerable geographical variation in the use of modern FP in Nigeria, with a distinct north-south divide. Furthermore, a significant trend in the use of modern FP was evident, with an increase between 2003 and 2005 followed by a decline between 2005 and 2007. The effect of respondent's age was non-linear, and use of modern FP was found to differ significantly between never-married and currently/formerly married respondents. Awareness of FP methods and knowledge of where to get/buy FP services/methods were found to be significantly associated with usage. The findings provide policymakers with tools to prioritize the use of scarce resources for implementing FP and reproductive health interventions.

Reproductive Risks and Intentions in Six Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa

Potential changes in reproductive patterns associated with high-risk births is analyzed using data from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) in 6 African countries: Botswana (1988); Burundi (1987); Liberia (1986); Mali (1987); Senegal (1986) and Zimbabwe (1988). < than 1 in 4 women in the samples had advanced beyond a primary education while in Burundi Mali and Senegal 75% had no education. Over 50% lived in rural areas (ranging from 97% in Burundi to 63% in Liberia). Child mortality is high; the women in Liberia (47%) Senegal (48%) and Mali (55%) all experienced the death of at least 1 child. Nearly 80% of the women did not know about modern methods of contraception. In evaluating the association between reproductive risk and intention women were assigned 1 of 3 categories of reproductive intention categories: limiter spacer and nonspacer. The study indicates that expressed intention to space births was common in the 6 countries ranging from 37% in Senegal to 62% in Mali. Programmatically this finding suggests that temporary methods of contraception are appropriate for meeting most of the demand in Africa especially as the traditional practices of postpartum abstinence and breastfeeding decline in prevalence. Reproductive risk factors (age parity and interval since last birth) were highly correlated with women;s intentions to limit births especially in Botswana and Zimbabwe where family planning programs are based on birthspacing. Women who had had 4 or more live births were as much as 79% more likely than lower parity women to express a desire to have no more children. Educated women those 35 and older those with some awareness of family planning methods and those who had 1 living male child were more likely to want to limit their births. Intentions to delay the next birth correlated with such factors as higher education never experiencing the death of a child and having with a male child. (authors modified) (summaries in ENG FRE and SPA)