Factors Militating Against Family Planning Amongst Women In Rural Communities

1.2 Problem Statement

The number and timing of pregnancies in a woman's reproductive lifespan affects the maternal mortality risk; other factors include the presence of co morbidities, and obstetric care. The effect of these factors is quantifiable by four measures: the number of maternal deaths, the maternal mortality rate (MMRate), the maternal mortality ratio (MMRatio), and the lifetime risk of maternal death.

The MMRate is the yearly number of maternal deaths per 1000 women of childbearing age (15– 49 years). The MMRatio has the same numerator, but is expressed per 100,000 live births. Lifetime risk of maternal death is the cumulative probability of a woman dying of maternal causes during her reproductive life, and is a measure of pregnancy-related female death. Both the MMRate and lifetime risk of maternal death respond directly to fertility rates and thus quantify the risk of maternal death per woman, whereas the MMRatio is indicative of risk per pregnancy due to poor access to and quality of obstetric services. A fall in the number of pregnancies lowers the number of maternal deaths because, self-evidently, in the absence of pregnancy, the risk of maternal death is non-existent.

In Nigeria, there is unaccepted high maternal mortality. Moreover, legally, politically and culturally access to abortion create internal dispute, therefore effective contraceptive programming should be the current and future approach to reduce the risk and unwanted pregnancies. Few published data exist concerning use of family planning services in Nigeria especially northern part where we have recently observed high maternal morbidity and mortality in this setting. Thus, this study will be conducted to investigate use of family planning methods among child-bearing women in Imo, Northern Nigeria.

1.3 Research Questions

1. What is the level of knowledge of family planning among women of child-bearing age in rural areas of Imo State?

2. What are the attitudes of rural women of child-bearing age towards family planning?

3. What is the level of use of family planning products/methods and services among rural women of child-bearing age?

4. What are the factors associated with utilization of family planning services among rural women of child-bearing age?

1.4 General and Specific Objectives

1.4.1 General Objective

To assess the determinants of utilization of family planning services among women of child bearing age in rural areas of Imo state, Northern Nigeria.

1.4.2 Specific Objectives

1.4.2.1 To determine the level of knowledge of family planning among women of child-bearing age.

1.4.2.2 To determine the attitudes of rural women of child-bearing age towards family planning.

1.4.2.3 To determine the level of use of family planning products and services among rural women of child-bearing age.

1.4.2.4 To determine the factors associated with utilization of family planning services among women of child-bearing age.

1.5 Scope of the study

The study covered women of child bearing age (15-49 years) residing in Obibe Ezena community, Owerri North, Imo state during the period of 6 months. It determined the knowledge, attitude and factors mitigating against family planning services as well as assessed the determinants of utilization of family planning services.