Factors Associated with Effective Use of Family Planning Among Women of Childbearing Age in Bwijanga Sub-county, Masindi District.

Abstract

Background: Family planning is a simple term that is used to mean birth control, however it involves wide variety of methods and practices applied by women or couples to limit the number of children or control timing of pregnancy by spacing in between them. In many health centers across the world, family planning services are offered in a manner that is educational, wide spread medical and social activities fit for the communities to enable them freely determine how many children, spacing in between and select the means by which this can be achieved. Objective: The aim of the study was to identify the factors associated with effective family planning use among women of childbearing age in Bwijanga sub county, Masindi District. Method: A cross sectional study was employed to determine the factors associated with effective family planning use among women of childbearing age in Bwijanga sub county, Masindi District. A total of 296 women from Bwijanga Sub-County using simple random sampling technique, a structured questionnaire were used to collect data. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 16. Result: From the assessment done, age (X2=15.180, P=0.002), marital status(X2=10.256, P=0.017), occupation (X2=11.294, P=0.010), time duration in Bwijanga Sub-County (X2=17.705, P=0.001), number of children (X2=17.170, P=0.001), inaccessible family planning services (X2=24.116, P=0.000), knowledge about birth control methods (X2=48.446, P=0.000), sharing family planning with my sexual partner (X2=50.846, P=0.000), education level of the woman (X2=28.241, P=0.000), knowledge on side effects (X2=11.229, P=0.024), skills on family planning methods use (X2=17.294, P=0.002) and important of family planning (X2=59.365, P=0.000), spouse influence(X2=61.159, P=0.000), peer influence (X2=19.160, P=0.000), religion(X2=29.980, P=0.001), culture(X2=33.638, P=0.000), income level (X2=30.694, P=0.000), numbers family planning service provider (X2=26.506,P=0.000), easy accessibility(X2=12.670, P=0.000), Presence counseling during family service provision(X2=21.408, P=0.000), affordability of family planning services (X2=34.737, P=0.000), proximity to the nearest health units (X2=14.420, P=0.006) Availability of family planning services at health facilities (X2=38.514, P=0.000) and sufficient number of available medical staff (X2=40.170, P=0.000).were significantly associated with effective family planning use. Conclusion: family planning use was moderate at 60.5%. effective family planning use were influenced by; age, marital status, occupation, number of children (parity) peer influence, religion, culture values and norms and, income level, numbers family planning service provider within the sub-county, easy accessibility to family planning services, presence counseling during family service provision, affordability of family planning services, proximity to the nearest health units, availability of family planning services at health facilities and sufficient number of available medical staff. All the knowledge factors hand influence. Thus, providing adequate information on family planning was recommended toimprove the use of family planning in the sub-county.