Socio-economic and Cultural Determinants of Use of Family Planning Services in Nkanu Area of Enugu State
Chapter One
Objectives of the Study
The main objective of the study is to investigate socio-cultural and economic factors that determine married women’s access to and use of family planning services in Nkanu Area of Enugu State.
The specific objectives of the study are to;
- Ascertain married women’s awareness and knowledge of provision and importance of family planning services;
- Ascertain the type of family planning services available in the study area;
- Identify specific constraints that people experience in access to and use of family planning services;
- Identify problems that arise as a result of people not accessing family planning services;
- Determine who decides when and how to access or not to access family planning services and consequences of such decisions;
- Determine the most desired and accessed family planning methods and reason(s) for their acceptance;
- Ascertain the efforts in place (especially stake holders) to encourage target groups’ use of family planning services in Nkanu Area;
- Make suggestions on how best to enhance (currently in-union) access to and use of family planning services in Nkanu.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Review of Empirical Literature
Reproductive health has been a major concern to man. Development brought with it, its concern on over-population, and its control campaign is as old as in the days of Malthus. Though population issue in Nigeria was not aimed at reproductive health directly, it was not until the fourth National Development Plan (1981-1986), that embraced the Basic Health Service delivery among others, that Nigeria started focusing on reproductive health (Alumanah, 2003). Family Planning was listed as one of the twelve pillars of Reproductive Health (FMHN, 2005). One of the objectives of Family Planning is to help women to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies, ill-health, etc (FMHN, 2005), this has not been effective in some African societies Nigeria inclusive, because there are factors that hinder the ability of women of all levels to seek and use contraceptives (Bowman and Kuenyehia, 2003; Network, 2000).
Hindrances to Achieving Family Planning Programmes:
In Nigeria like in most developing countries, the extent of the acceptance and usage of family planning services is affected by the social, economic and culture of the societies in it. Omeje (2003) in his findings report noted that poor access (both in logistics and financial terms) to modern health care clinic aid increase in maternal and child morbidity and mortality. Culturally, child-bearing and rearing are very important to mankind and in particular women. Onyeneho and Okeibunor, (2003), in the study they carried out in Mbaise, Imo State noted that their respondents had an average of 5.6 children and above, which is comparatively high. Child-bearing and rearing defines a woman’s value and status in her community, alongside the number and sex of children (NISER, 2001; Agujiobi, 2003; Nnorom, 2003; Ezumah, 2003). Onyeneho and Okeibunor, (2003), in the same study found out those respondents with more female children wanted more children than those with more male children or equal sexes.
The status of women as wives and mothers contribute to pregnancy related problems (Ezumah, 2004; Aina, 1998). Okeibunor (2003), in his findings from a qualitative study in Nsukka on the Sociological Context of Sexuality and Family Planning noted that the low status of women were socially constructed and hinders women from exercising their health rights. Nwakeze’s (2003) findings from her study in Anambra State showed that infertility was of great consequences for the couple and the woman in particular. Similarly, Ezumah’s (2003) findings of a research she undertook on Sexuality and Gender Relations in Anambra State using qualitative methods, showed the importance attached to procreation as emphasized on the extent a barren woman goes to get a wife for her husband to bear children on her behalf, or a wife goes outside her matrimonial home (with or without the consent of her husband in the case of infertility on the man’s side) to get children in order to maintain the family’s existence and value in the community. These socio-cultural attitudes restrict the use of family planning services; therefore many Nigerians reacted negatively to the programme of family planning services (Obasi and Umoh, 2000).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
This study will employ the Cross-sectional survey design, this will enable the researcher get information on the influence of socio-cultural and economic factors on the use of family planning services by community members in Nkanu areas as they are, and also because the data will be collected once and for all. It will also give the researcher the opportunity to use both quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Scope of the study and Study Area
This study will be limited to couples in Nkanu communities, who are currently in union (married), and have been in the married union for at least one year with or without children, and who have either sought and used Family Planning Services (FPS) or not. Data will be gathered from two Local Government Areas of Nkanu West and Enugu East all in Enugu State. The two Local Government Areas will give room for extensive study of this form so as to understand the level at which social, economic and cultural issues affect their attitudes to reproductive health. The rural areas in the study area are very far from urban environment with recent traces of government intervention programmes such as electricity, pipe-borne water, road construction, health centres etc which were hitherto provided at a mini scale by the community members. The choice will also enable the researcher to determine the effect(s) of social and economic factors of development and urbanization on access and use of family planning services in the study area.
Enugu State has seventeen Local Government Areas. Each of the Local Government Areas has its’ unique characteristics physically, economically, socially, culturally, psychologically and otherwise and they hold special meanings for them.
REFERENCES
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- Adinma, J. B. I. (2009). Women’s sexual and reproductive rights/harmful socio-cultural practices, in Ikpeze, O. C. (ed.), Fundamentals of obstetrics and gynaecology. (Pp. 351-361) Onitsha: Africana First Publishers Plc.
- Adinma, J. I. B. and Nwosu, B. O. (1995). Family planning knowledge and practice among Nigerian women attending an antenatal clinic in Journal of Advances in contraception. (Pp335-344) SpringerNetherlands. Vol. 11, No. 4, Dec.
- Agujiobi, B. (2003). Risk of HIV/AIDS Infection: Gender Perspectives. Enugu. MELPWOD
- Alumanah, J. N. (2003). Environmental constraints to maternal health seeking rights, in Journal of the population association of Nigeria. (Pp.34-45).Vol. 3, No. 1, Sept.
- Aina, O. I. (1998). Women, culture and society, in Amadu, Sesay and Adetanwa, Odebiyi (eds.), Nigerian women in society and development. (Pp 3-32) Dokun Ibadan: Publishing House.
