ABSTRACT

The study assessed the awareness and the utilization of family planning methods among rural farmers in Abia State, Nigeria. It bordered on the problems of rapid population growth rate and large families, and the low rate of utilization of family planning methods by the respondents. The specific objectives of the study were to; describe the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, identify the respondents' sources of information on family planning methods, ascertain the level of awareness of family planning, ascertain the utilization of family planning methods, and ascertain the factors influencing the awareness and utilization of family planning methods. Purposive and multi-stage random sampling techniques were used to select a sample size of 144 respondents from the sample frame of 350 farmers. These were randomly selected across two communities each from nine Local Government Areas from the three agricultural zones of Abia State. The study employed questionnaire for primary data, and information from books, magazines on family planning formed the secondary sources. Data analyses were with the use of descriptive statistics, multiple regression and Z-test analysis. The results showed that 72% of the respondents were married, 56% had farming as their primary occupation, 94% had one formal education or the other, and the mean age of 40, 47% were Protestants as their religion. The respondents' main source of infonnation on family planning methods were radio, television, friends and government health workers and institutions. The majority (97%) of the respondents were aware of one method of family planning or another. Majority of the respondents used traditional method than the modem method, with the utilization index indicating that there was moderate level of utilization of family planning method. The most popular method used was the condom and a very good number of traditional methods like the abstinence, rhythm and withdrawal. The major factors militating against the utilization of family planning methods were grouped into three factors to include financial. social and infrastructural factors; the major variables that affected the utilization of family planning methods under financial factor includes; prohibition by custom (0.34087), cost (0.41153) and dislike of methods (0.49389); variables under social factor includes; negative effects on health (0.42234), religious belief (0.46234); variables under infrastructural factor include; inadequate information (0.30743). and long distance (0.37550). Multiple regression analysis showed that sex at 5%, education at 5%, occupation at 5%, and household size at 5% influenced the awareness of family planning methods significantly and also income and number of children influenced the utilization significantly at 5%. The Z-test analysis showed that awareness index and utilization index were significant at 1 % level, therefore the hypothesis was rejected and accepted that a significant relationship exist between the respondents awareness level and their utilization of modern and traditional family planning methods. Based on the findings, it was concluded that the level of utilization of family planning methods was moderate. The study. therefore, recommended among others the provision of more educational opportunities in the rural areas for the purpose of teaching family planning methods. There should be more primary health centres. with modern family planning facilities which should be made available to the rural communities.