ABSTRACT
This study investigated the influence of family planning in Isiala Mbano of Imo
State. The study sought answers to four research questions and two hypotheses.
The population of the study consisted of all families in tall the 12 communities that
made up Isiala Mbano local government area of Imo state. 240 families were
sampled using the simple random sampling technique. Questionnaire was the
major instrument for data collection. Data collected were analysed using mean
scores, while t-test statistics was employed in testing the hypotheses. Based on the
analysis, the following major findings were made.
i. There is a high level of awareness on family planning method within their
various communities.
ii. Most parents accepted family planning method within their various
communities.
iii. Most parents do not embrace the use of condom and implantation methods.
However, parents accept injectable based on doctor’s advice, that pills prevent
pregnancy, also that traditional family planning method is cheaper and safer than
the new modern method, and lastly that use of contraceptives have no side effect
on reproductive system.
iv. Finally, the result show that family planning helps to encourage child
spacing among couples during their reproductive years, some religion upholds
family planning because it serves as a means of disciplining some promiscuous
individuals and that family planning helps couples to enjoy their sexual life after
giving birth to the number of children they want. Based on the findings,
recommendations and suggestions for further research were made.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Title page - - - - - - - - i
Approval page - - - - - - - ii
Certification - - - - - - - - iii
Acknowledgement - - - - - - - iv
Table of continent - - - - - - - v
Abstract - - - - - - - - ix
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the study - - - - - - 1
Statement of the problem - - - - - - 6
Purpose of the study - - - - - - 7
Significance of the study - - - - - - 8
Scope of the study - - - - - - - 9
Research Question - - - - - - - 9
Research Hypotheses - - - - - - 10
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Conceptual framework - - - - - - 11
Theoretical framework - - - - - - 32
Related Empirical Studies - - - - - 37
Summary of the Review of literature - - - - 42
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHOD
Design of the study - - - - - - 45
Area of the study - - - - - - - 45
Population of the study - - - - - - 46
Sample and sampling Technique - - - - 46
Instrument for Data Collection - - - - - 46
Validation of instrument - - - - - - 47
Reliability of Instrument - - - - - - 47
Method for Data Collection - - - - - 48
Method of Data Analysis - - - - - - 48
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS
Research Question 1 - - - - - - 49
Research Question 2 - - - - - - 50
Research Question 3 - - - - - - 50
Research Question 4 - - - - - - 51
Hypothesis 1 - - - - - - - 52
Hypothesis 2 - - - - - - - 54
Summary of major findings - - - - - 55
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
Discussion of study - - - - - - 57
Hypothesis 1 - - - - - - - 60
Hypothesis 2 - - - - - - - 60
Educational Implication - - - - - - 61
Recommendations - - - - - - - 61
Limitation of the study - - - - - - 62
Summary for further study - - - - - 63
References - - - - - - - - 66
Appendix 1 - - - - - - - - 69
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Population increase has become a thing of great concern for economic
planners, demographers and even government agents. As world population moves
towards 5.9 billions, the per capital production of money basic commodities is
falling, for instance the recent global food shortage is an evidence. (Population
Report, 2006). The effort to raise incomes and living standard is falling in many
countries like Nigeria, particularly where population is growing most rapidly and
where family planning is not fully practiced.
In the seventies, our country enjoyed the oil boom and having a large
family, did not bring any economic burden to parents because things were
relatively cheaper and easy to come by. There was little or no psychological stress
about caring for children. Many parents stuck to the traditional belief of having
many children because culturally, having many children prove how wealthy a man
is. More also many men prefer to have large families that cold help them in
farming.
The current realization that large population can hold back socio-economic
development and health for all programmes has led to the quest for information on
family planning and other related reproductive health problems in Nigeria.
Planned Parenthood programmes have become necessary in Nigeria because of the prevailing socio-economy and psychological factors that affect both parents and
children.
However, in recent years economic situations changed and caring for
children brings both psychological and economic strains on both parents and
children. Therefore, there is need for family planning either traditional or the
newly introduced modern methods to curtail the trend. The traditional method
include prolonged breast feeding, post partum, the use of ring, waist band, wooden
doll, the use of black soap and salt to be dissolved and taken immediately after
sex. The above mentioned methods are commonly practiced on the Yoruba’s. on
the other hand, the new modern method emphasized the use of contraceptive such
as pill, IUCD (Intrauteri9ne Contraceptive Device), condom, implant, and
vasectomy. For clarification, the new modern method is broken down into three
categories, which includes Temporary modern methods examples are pills,
injectable, condom. Permanent new modern method examples are vasectomy,
tubectomy and Natural methods which involves withdrawal method and rhythm
(Ayeni, 2002).
Family planning is a way of maintaining reasonable interval in childbearing
practice. That is letting a woman rest after giving the first birth before another
birth. Family planning also embraces a way of preventing unwanted pregnancy,
and a means of sexual gratification. Nwangoro (1999) defined that family planning
is an organized effort to assist people to have the number of children they want
and to space them as they choose. In addition, family planning is available to help individuals and couples to choose if and when they will have a child or to choose
the number of children that they will have. The choices depend on a complicated
mixture of social, cultural and psychological influences; and lately for the first
time in history, men and women have had reliable methods to enable them to make
that choice freely and relatively easily.
This principle of choice is important as it includes not only the choice of
using family planning, but the choice of the birth control method most suited to the
particular circumstance of the couple. But neither the man nor the woman can
make an informed choice until each has a basic knowledge of the different
methods, their efficiency in protection against pregnancy and their advantages and
disadvantages. The choice maybe that the man uses contraceptive measures; or
that the woman chooses the contraceptive. Both should know of the available
method so that the decision is made carefully. The choice is helped if each partner
has an idea of how efficient the method chosen is in an unwanted pregnancy. On
the other hands, family planning involved the use of contraceptive control in
limiting or spacing out pregnancies either for socio-economic health, or population
control purposes.
The benefits of family planning cannot be over emphasized because they go
a long way in helping individuals, parents, children, communities and government
in the area of health, education of children, and social economic and political
development of the society. For these reasons, government, non-governmental
organizations and individuals have found it necessary to introduce family planningProgrammes at federal, state, local and community levels and Isiala Mbano in Imo
State in Okigwe senatorial zone is not left out. The local government is made up of
semi urban and rural areas namely; Amaraku, Amauzari, Anara, Eziama, Ibeme,
Obollo, Ogbor, Umuduru, Umunkwo, Ugiri, Umuneke and Umuozu
The population of the people is about ten thousand five hundred (2006
census figure from National Population Commission Office, Isiala Mbano Local
Government Council Imo State). The local government has a wide range able
land. For this reason; the major occupation of the people is farming. Due to the
nature of their occupation, most men prefer to have a large family that will assist
them in their farming and this had led to high population in the area. On the other
hand, most of the women prefer to go into marriage rather than going to school.
This is to a large extent affects the level of literacy among the people. It is only
those in the semi-urban areas of the local government who have little interest in
education and they prefer to send their children to school instead of engaging hem
in early marriage. In view of the above discussion, the location levels of literacy to
a large extent have impact on the level of awareness to family planning
programme among the people.
Family planning was introduced to this country at a time when such need
was of paramount importance. It was to bring both psychological and economic
relief to families. Interestingly, government and other non-governmental agencies
have put in much effort to bring the knowledge about family planning to the
people through advertisement on Television, Radio and other media. For instance, in 1987, the Imo State Commissioner for Health stated that there should be
increased public enlightenment campaign to educate parents on the need for them
to make use of public health facilities particularly those concerning birth control.
This connotes request for contraceptive device as prevention of unwanted
pregnancy through provision of contraceptive as outlets that will be accessible to
families. On this note, if family planning education is adopted, the problem of
population explosion will be minimized. This should not be seen as divorcing
sexual act from procreation. Family planning should be geared towards changing
people’s attitude to family size. However, people’s attitude are to a large extent
influenced by social and cultural condition of the environment as well as their
views on the importance of children and their own need as status aspiration.
The applications of family planning method have a significant advantage to
maintain in the area of health social economic and political endeavours, therefore
should be a continuous process. Maine (1991), opined that family planning should
be encouraged for its advantages on the entire society because the advantages
derived from family planning are numerous.
However, opposition to family planning was rational to the physicians. This
was because they saw family planning as writing with one hand and erasing with
he other, in this case they support family planning as a means of minimizing the
problems posed by illegal abortion and abandonment of babies.
People who suggest family planning see it as he best thing parents can do
for themselves and for their children. Akingba (1994) believes that it is Unreasonable to bring more children into the world than a couple can afford to
maintain well. A couple should produce only the number of children that their
circumstances in life permit them to feed, cloths, educate and generally look after
properly in sickness and in health.
Another writer, Feuerstein (1991), stressed the necessity of family planning.
According to her the major causes of increasing death o women at child birth
seems to be “lack of self-discipline, poor spacing of birth and general disregard for
simple health principles”. The result of pregnancies in quick succession is a worn
out, easily tired, and poorly nourished young woman looking many years older
than her real age. These states make one an easy prey to illness.
The effort of government and other agencies on this issue has to be
complimented by counselors through thorough education of the people, especially
at the local level where much will be achieved in securing better family units
through well-planned child rearing habits.
Statement of the Problem
The world population is increasing in geometric rate; government can no
longer meet up with the demand of their citizens. This has resulted to global food
shortage. Having many children is really a great burden that tends to drain the
financial resources of standard of living and bring about economic hardship. Most
parents with large families find it difficult to provide the basic need of their
children such as food, shelter health and education for the family. This tends to
bring psychological and emotional stress on most parents.Family planning is the practice of exercising choice about the arrival of the child
into the family, taking into consideration the mother’s health, welfare or the
children, family happiness and all the prevailing economic circumstances. Family
planning encourages couples to have those children that they can properly and
adequately carter for. Also family planning involves child spacing and child
rearing practice.
On this backdrop therefore, the problem of this study pose as question, is
what are the influence of family planning on families in Isiala Mbano Local
Government Area of Imo State.
Purpose of the Study
The general purpose of this study was to find out the influence of Family
Planning on families in Isiala Mbano L.G.A of Imo State. Specifically, the study
was set out:
1. To determine the level of awareness the people have on family planning
programmes.
2. To ascertain the level of acceptance the people derive on family
planning.
3. To find out the most effective family planning methods embraced by the
people of Isiala Mbano.
4. To ascertaSignificance of the Study
This study which investigated the influence of family planning is immensely
significance to the parents, government, non-governmental organization, health
workers, as well as family guidance counselors.
The benefit of family planning cannot be over-emphasized because they go
a long way in helping parents, their children, and education of the children and
also enhanced the socio-economic and political development of the society. For
these reasons, government, non-governmental organization have found it
necessary to introduce family planning at both Federal, State and Local
Government levels to maintain good health, socio-economic and political
endeavours.
However, guidance counselor will benefit from this study since it beholds
on them to inform the public, parents as well as society on the importance of
family planning. Family guidance counselor gives information related to child
spacing and likewise encourage on the number of children one can carter for.
Since government and other agencies had made effort to control the
situation, the researcher was therefore interested in the influence of family
planning on he families of Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State. The
study will therefore help parents, health workers and most specifically guidance
counselors to know the right steps to take in creating awareness on the appropriate
method of family planning that is good for different individual and society at large.
Theoretically, the study will add to the body of knowledge in the step that had been taken so far in the implementation of family planning. This body of
knowledge will be disseminated through publication in journals, workshop,
conferences and seminars.
Scope of the study
This study covered the entire communities of Isiala Mbano Local
government Area of Imo State. The study was limited to the response of the
existing families in the entire communities towards family planning.
The Isiala Mbano Local Government Area consists of twelve communities
namely:
Amaraku, Amauzari, Anara, Eziama, Ibeme, Obollo, Ogbor, Umuduru, Umunkwo,
Ugiri, Umuneke and Umuozu. In addition, the study focused on the level of
awareness, level of acceptance of family planning by the people, method of family
planning mostly embraced by the people and the impact of family planning o nthe
people’s reproductive behaviour.
Research Questions
In pursuance of purpose of the study, the researcher sought answer to the
following research questions.
1. What is the level awareness on Family Planning among the people in the
community?
2. What is the level of acceptance of the people towards family planning?
3. Which of these family planning methods do people actually embrace
mostly? 4. What influence does family planning have on the reproductive behaviour
of parents in the community?
Hypotheses
This study sought to test the following hypotheses:
HO1: There was no significant difference in the mean scores of the level of
awareness on family planning methods, between the families in semi-urban and
those in the rural areas.
HO2: There was no significant difference in the mean scores of the level of
acceptance of new modern method of family planning between families on rural
areas and those in semi-urban areas.
behaviour.
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