Abstract

The present study aimed at assessing the knowledge and practice of reproductive age 15-49 years on the importance of family planning in the Mutengene community. Across sectional community based. A random sampling technique was used with a sample size of 100 female age 15-49 years in the Muea community.

Data was collected using questionaires. This study was conducted from January 2023 to August 2023. The objectives of the study was to assess the knowledge and practice of women of reproductive age on the importance of family planning, assess the knowledge on the various methods and importance of family planning, to determine the challenges faced in using family planning methods.

The significance of the study was to reduce unwanted pregnancy, help children get all the attention, security, love and care they deserve, to improve on the standard of living of families and also help in other researches. A total of 100 female were enrolled with ages ranging from 15 to 49 years.

About 68% of women had knowledge on family planning, 85% had knowledge on the various methods of family planning and just 54% of the women had knowledge on the importance of family planning while 80% had challenges hindering them from using family planning. Conclusively, participants had knowledge on family planning, the also had knowledge on the various methods on family planning but a poor knowledge on the importance of family planning.

Subsequently, more researches on the importance of family planning, educational and counseling interventions should be undertaken among females age 15-49 years. Finally family planning massages directed to men need to be included too.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of Study

Family planning by definition is deciding the number and spacing of your children. Worldwide there is a large and empirically verified demand for family planning to space or limit childbearing.

About 200 million of women worldwide have unmet needs for modern contraception; that is they are sexually active, want to delay or stop child bearing and do not use modern methods of contraception (Agbor Nathan Emeh et al, 2021). Moreover, more than 80 million mistimed or unwanted pregnancies occur each year worldwide, contributing to high rate of induced abortion, maternal morbidity and infant mortality (WHO, 2017).

According to the fourth National Family Health Survey (NHFS-4) In India (2021) conducted under the stewardship on the ministry of Health and Family Welfare, prevalence of contraceptive use has drop from 56.3% in 2009 – to 53.5% in 2014 – 2015.

While the use of modern contraceptive has also declined marginally, the decline was mainly triggered by a drop in sterilization rate from 1 % to 0.3%. Moreover, rate of female sterilization also witnessed a decline from 37.3% to 36%. The unmet need for family planning also declined over the last decade from 1 3% to 12%. India has been attracting severe criticism from the international community for its poor mix of contraceptive methods (Survey H, 2016).

Contraceptives only became widely available after the 1960s (Park k, 2012). However, their use has been growing in almost all the countries of the world, although at different rates According to MOHSS and IICF International, (2014). Contraceptive methods are grouped into two types; modern and traditional. Modern methods include female and male sterilization, the pills, the intrauterine contraceptive device [IUD/IUCD], injectable implants, male and female condoms, locational amenorrhea method [LAM] and emergency contraception. Traditional methods include the rhythm method [Periodic abstinence] and withdrawal.

Contraceptive prevalence is a measure of the proportion of women who are currently using or whose sexual partner is currently using, at least one method of contraception, regardless of the method used. It is usually reported for married or in union women aged 15–49 years (WHO, 2020) .

The contraceptive prevalence for any modern contraceptive methods is estimated at 57% globally .There are some geographic variations in the contraceptive prevalence rate , with 69.8% in North America, 61 .2% in Asia ,66.6% in Latin America and the Caribbean ,58.8% in Europe 55.1 % in Oceanian and 25.8% in Africa .In general, Africa records the lowest contraceptive prevalence rate compared to the rest of the world (WHO, 2020).Namibia has a contraceptive prevalence rate of 50% for any method (Starbid E et al, 2016).

HiFamily planning practice helps individuals or couples to avoid unwanted pregnancies, regulate the intervals between pregnancies, control the time of birth in relating to the age of the parents and determining the number of children in the family (FiGo, 2018). Though contraceptive use has increased worldwide over the last couple of years, the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) in low resources countries is very low (Pan Medj, 2015). An average of 25% of couples in Sub-Saharan Africa who want to space their children do not use any form of family planning method (Singh et al, 2014).

Cameroon is considered to be less developed and a poor country in the Sub-Sahara Africa. United Agency for international development, 2010 suggests that in addition to poverty and poor infrastructure, the level of maternal mortality in the population is an indicator not only for the status of the population, but also a level of national development.

In most developing countries, women are among the poorest of the poor; as a result of this, some of the women know little or wrong knowledge about family planning services. Also some women who have had unplanned pregnancies, abortions, or sexually transmitted diseases feel embarrassed and fear of confidentiality (Alzen l et Al, 2009).

1.2 Problem Statement

Family planning services play a major role in providing women with a range of services including reproductive health care and constitution on family planning matters. The availability of family planning is associated with fewer unplanned pregnancies, abortion, low birth weight babies, infant deaths and neonatal deaths. In order to encourage the use of these services, women have to be informed and educated on importance of family planning. They have to feel comfortable when making family planning decision and choices with their spouses and health care providers (FiGo, 2018).)

The lack of privacy and opportunity to ask question also lead to dissatisfaction among women using family planning (Ajzen l and Fishbein 2018). Despite the efforts to improve family planning services, the value remains low in Cameroon and married women do not have adequate knowledge, attitudes and practices toward family planning. According to United Nation Children Funds, (2010), Cameroon had a maternal mortality ratio of 669 deaths/100000 live births of the population. The infant mortality rate was highly recorded at 84 deaths per thousand live births

In Mutengene health Area i noticed a lot of young women practicing unsafe abortion,  as a result of unwanted pregnancy, and consequently leading to school dropouts To satisfy my  curiosity, i decided to research on assessing the knowledge, attitude and practice amongst women of child bearing ages Toward family planning

1.3 .Research Objectives

1.3.1 General Objective

To assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of Family Planning amongst women of Child bearing ages (15-49) years in Mutengene health Area.

1.3.2 Specific Objectives

1. To assess knowledge on family planning amongst women of child bearing ages in Mutengene health Area.
2. To find out the attitude amongst women of child bearing ages on family planning (contraception) in Mutengene health Area.
3. To identify the challenges face in the practicing family planning amongst women of child bearing ages in Mutengene health Area.

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