AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE ATTITUDES OF FAMILY PLANNING AMONG HEALTH CARE USERS AND MARKET WOMEN
ABSTRACT
This study examined the influence of attitude on family planning among the health workers and market women in Ikosi/Iheri Local Government Area of Lagos State. The objectives of this research were to find out the influence of family size, socio-economic status of families, marital status and religion on the health care users and market women attitude towards family planning. Four research questions and research hypotheses were stated for the study, the research design was survey in nature. The total number of 90 women of child bearing age were selected using the simple random method. The t-test of significance was employed to test the null hypotheses stated for the study. the of this research include the study revealed that family size will significantly influence health care users’ attitude towards family planning. It also revealed that family socio-economic status will significantly influence couples attitude towards family planning. The study further revealed that marital status will significantly influence couples attitude towards family planning. The study further revealed that religion will not significantly influence couples towards family planning. Recommendations were made on the basis of the findings of this study which include:Education: The government should make it as an educational policy to incorporate sex education and family planning in the post primary school curriculum. Enlightenment: The State and Local Governments should mount intensive enlightenment campaigns on the concept of family planning and its merits. This campaign should take the form of seminars, workshop and symposia. Establishment of Family Planning Clinics: The Government and voluntary organisations should establish family planning clinics in urban and rural areas. They could render such services as advice to couples, processes involved in the practice of family planning, use of contraceptives and other methods of birth control, mobile clinics should be provided also to carry the campaigns to rural areas where family planning clinics do not exist, contraceptives and other control measures and services relating to family planning should be made relatively cheap to enhance acceptance of family planning by people who need it and men should be encouraged to join the women to attend family planning programme and practices as family planning is for both men and women.
