The Impact of Family Planning Campaign on Ibagwa Couples in Igbo Eze South Local Government Area, Enugu State
Chapter One
Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of this study is to find out the following;
- The effect of family planning campaign on Ibagwa couples.
- Problems facing the success of the campaign
- The solution as to how the campaign could gain more acceptance.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
This chapter focuses on the review of related literature. It aims at examining studies, publications made by different scholars in the past which formed textbooks, journals, magazines, unpublished project (research) works.
For the purpose of carrying out effective review of literature on the topic; the researchers organized the review into the following sub-headings:
- The concept of family planning
- Methods of family planning
- Importance of family planning
- Factors militating against family planning.
The concept of family planning
Family planning, also called conception control (Nnubia, 1999) is a method of controlling the number of children per couple. The concept on a lay man’s idea is planning the number of children one will have and the intervals between the births in the family by using both control or any method used to prevent the birth of a child.
In this opinion Lucas (1968) sees family planning as the activity that enables every family to have as many children as they desire and when they want them. In his view this implies educating and encouraging couples to space or limit the number of children and thereby ensure optimal family health. Still on the concept, Ojo and Briggs (1982) states that family planning implies a situation where fertile couples space out their children and have the number of children they want and at the time they desire them. In the opinion of Suleiman (1992) family planning is a way by which individual couples and families exercise their basic right in family formation to improve their lives, health and life expectancy.
Looking at family planning as a factor in controlling world population, the world health organization (WHO, 1971) sees family planning as:
A way of thinking and living that is adopted. Voluntarily upon the basis of knowledge, attitudes and responsible decision by individuals and couples in order to promote the health and welfare of the family group, and this contributes effectively to the social development of the country.
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
This chapter deals with the various techniques adopted in carrying out the study.
Population
The population of this study comprises all couples in the seven (7) villages that make up Ibagwa, Igbo-Eze South L.G.A, Enugu State. The villages are: Amokwe, Umudim, Ogwude, Ibeku, Umueko, Amaechara, Azani.
Sample and Sampling Technique
Simple random sampling was used to select 50 respondents from each of the seven villages. This gave a total of three hundred and fifty (350) respondents that was finally used for the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
This chapter deal with the presentation, analysis and interpretation of results obtained from the collected data. The data have presented in tables.
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
In this chapter the researchers summarized the findings of the study with reference to information (data) collection after carrying out the research. Certain recommendations and area for further studies were made.
Discussion of Findings
The researchers found out that the campaign on adoption of family planning practices has not had any appreciable effect on Ibagwa couples. They found out that most couples now space the interval of child birth such that births now occur after at least a two years interval.
Nonetheless, other advantages of family planning have not been appreciated by the people. The people do not ascribe reduction in the number of births to the message on family planning, rather they hing the effect on their economic status.
In addition, cases of unwanted pregnancies, abortion, sexually transmitted diseases is still found among couples. Youth unemployment is also high as the number of births outstrips the resources.
In the area of militating factors, the researchers found out that religion, culture, cost of services and drugs, illiteracy are some of the factors than have militated against adoptions of family planning practices. The study further revealed that lack of adequate information leads to fear which in turn militate against family planning adoption. Need to plan for the future was also found to be one of the factors that hinder acceptance of family planning practices. This is in view of the fact that couples bear many children so as to have those that will take care of them at old age.
In the area of solution towards solving the problem of non-adoption of family planning practices the researchers found that if the status and literacy level of woman are improved, there will be increase in the acceptance level of the practices. The study further revealed that for people to adopt to family planning, there should be provision of social security especially for the aged so that the investment on children merely for purpose of reaping at old age would no more be fashionable. In the same vein, the study revealed that there is a need for improvement in community health services so as to improve the survival rate of children and thereby discourage the tendency to bear many children.
Conclusion
Finally planning campaign is aimed at bringing to awareness the need for adoption of family planning practices in view of the advantages derivable from the concept. There are inherent problems arising from population issues unemployment, cases of unwanted pregnancies and abortion, etc. Efforts to check these have not yielded appreciable results as a result of the influence of such factors as religion, culture, fear, illiteracy, cost of services and drugs provided.
To achieve adoption of the practice by a majority of the people, the study revealed the need for government to consider the issue of provision of social security especially for the old people such that they would be guaranteed of the basic necessities of life. It is also suggested that there is a dire need of the improvement in the status of women and their literacy level. This could be achieved through empowerment women and thereby reducing the age long preference for the male child.
Health services available in the rural communities are still poor, hence there is an urgent need for improvement as a solution to encouraging couples to adopt family planning practices. The churches also have a contribution to make if the campaign is to succeed. Due to people’s belief and adherence to the teaching of their religious, they avoid use of modern contraceptives. Hence, the co-operation of the church in the form of review of its stand on the use of artificial methods.
Recommendations
Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations have to be made:
- Government should make family planning services free to all married couples.
- Social security should be provided in the country especially for the aged.
- Empowerment of women through raising their status in the society so that they could be accepted as an equal member of the society with the male counterparts.
- The language people understand easily should be used in disseminating information of family planning.
- Integration of family planning services with other rural development, religion and social welfare services, example, Christian women organization and other women associations.
Areas of Further Research
This study was restricted to couples in Ibagwa, Igbo Eze South L.G.A. The area is a rural area, it would therefore be of interest of the investigation is conducted in an urban area so as to find out if the factors that militate against acceptance in the rural areas also constitute the same factors in the urban centres.
It would also be necessary to carry out the research on literate couples. This would serve the purpose of findings out the effect of formal education and its countamitances on the acceptance or otherwise of family planning practices.
REFERENCES
- Abu, B.D. (1989), Newswatch Magazines: February, 29.
- Anyakoha and Eluwa, (1991): Home Management for Schools and Collages.
- Asuzu, M.C. (1988): Family Planning: A Journal of the Nigerian Medical Students.
- Catholic Herald, (1990): Birth Control Policy in Nigeria”.
- Daily Time Newspaper (1994): Thursday, February 17.
- Encyclopedia of Health and Human Body (1977), Newman Gerald Vol. 11, No. 11 London.
- Eze, A.A. and Odigbo, E.C. (1995): The Attitude of Illiterate Parents Towards Family Planning in Ihiala L.G.A.
- Golden, M. (1986), All Kinds of Family Planning. 4th Dimension Publishers, Enugu.
- Hanson, R.K.B. (1972), Textbook on Economics. 6th Edition.
