Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards Fami...

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards Family Planning and Assciated Sociocultural Factors among Men in Abuja Municipal Area Council, Nigeria

Author Name : Egenti BN, Yalma RM, Adelaiye RS, Chineke HN, Olemgbe GC, Adogu PO

ABSTRACT

Background: Reproductive health issues demand that men be considered and made pivotal to developing modalities and implementing appropriate strategies for development. However, previous studies have shown gaps in the adoption of male contraceptive methods to achieve reproductive health goals.

Objectives: To determine the knowledge, attitude, and practice towards family planning among males in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory.

Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study in which 225 inhabitants of Wuse, Central district and Garki council area, were recruited using a multistage sampling technique. Data was collected using semi-structured .interviewer-administered questionnaires and analysed with SPSS. Ethical approval was obtained from the Health Research Ethics Committee (HREC) of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, and Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA), Abuja.

Result: A response rate of 216 (96%) was recorded for the questionnaires distributed. Good knowledge about male contraceptive methods was 51.4% while the proportion with good attitude amounted to 89.4% and 54.6% had good practice or use of contraceptives. Mean knowledge, attitude and practice scores recorded by the men were 7.66 ± SD 4.315, 95% CI (7.08 – 8.28), 5.88 ± SD 1.57, 95% CI (5.66, 6.09) and4.84 ± SD 2.318, 95% CI (4.53, 5.15) respectively. The desire for large families 33 (15.3%) and not having a male child 37 (17.1%) were predominant reasons for not using any form of contraception. Marital status, age and completed family size, were significantly associated with the adoption and use of FP among the subjects (P=0.001, for marital status; p=0.012, for age; and p=0.002, for completed family size respectively). Men aged 28-37 years [AOR=1.82 (95% CI: (0.11-0.80) P=0.05]; married men, [AOR=4.75 (95% CI: (0.85-3.59) P=0.05]; and those with completed family size AOR=1.19 (95% CI: (0.01-0.46) P=0.05]; were significant predictors of FP practice

Conclusion: There was good knowledge about family planning, with a similar practice level. However, more men need to be informed and encouraged to embrace male contraceptive methods.

Keywords: Family Planning; Men; Knowledge; Attitude; Practice; Abuja; Reproductive health; Nigeria