Study of unmet need of family planning among the married women of reproductive age

 

Abstract              Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of unmet need for Family Planning among married women of reproductive age residing infield practice at area of urban health centre. 1) To find out the determinants of unmet need for Family Planning in the study population. Material and Methods: Cross-sectional study. Field practice area of urban health centre. Married women of reproductive age group 15-45 years residing in field practice area of urban health centre. 250. Non probability convenience sampling. Results: 145 (58%) of married women in reproductive age had unmet need for contraception, 66.90% for limiting births and 33.10% for spacing births. The main reasons for unmet need were husband and family opposition (26.89%), fertility related reasons including postpartum amenorrheic, breast feeding (22.07%) etc. Conclusion: Efficient counseling of women about contraception may help reduce this high prevalence of unmet needs for Family Planning.

Keywords: Contraceptives, Unmet need, Family Planning.

 

INTRODUCTION

Concept of unmet need for contraception was developed from the early knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) studies conducted during the 1960s and 1970s.¹ KAP gap replace the "unmet need". It refers to the fertile women who either wish to postpone the next birth (spacers) or wish to stop child bearing (limiters) but are not using any contraceptive method.²During last 6 years, unmet need for family planning has declined by 3.6 percentage i.e. about 1.1 percent per year; from NFHS-2 (15.8%) to NFHS-3 (13.2%)] in India.³ Whereas no change in percentage of unmet need for family planning was observed among women aged 15-45 years in Maharashtra.³ According to the DLHS-III (2007-2008), about 20.5 per cent of currently married women in India have an unmet need for family planning.⁴ The unmet need for spacing the births about 7.2 percent and need for limiting births about 13.3 percent.⁴

 

MATERIAL AND METHODS

It was a cross sectional study carried in immunization and general OPD of urban health training centre during 1^st September 2015 to 31^st October 2015. Married women of age 15-45 years residing at area of urban health centre were explained the purpose of the study and those willing to participate were included in the study. Those not willing to participate were excluded from the study. Ethical clearance was obtained from institutional ethics committee. The women were enrolled by non probability convenience sampling. All the women visiting the OPD during the study period and who were fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included in study. At the end of the study period 250 women were enrolled. The data was collected by personal interview using a predesigned questionnaire. The questionnaire included socio demographic information of study participants. The women were assured about the confidentiality of their information and interviewed by maintaining privacy. The information on knowledge of contraceptives and their uses in present or past were noted. The data was entered in Microsoft excel and was analysed by using statistical software Open EPI 2009 (version 2.3).

DISCUSSION

In present study, prevalence of unmet need was 58%. Various other studies found prevalence of unmet need of family planning between 25% - 44.1%. (Bhandari, Sulthana B, Patil S, Saini)⁵ In the present study, 38.8% women had unmet need for limiting childbirth and 19.2 % for spacing childbirth. Bhandari GP et al found unmet need of 9.5 % for spacing and 15.5 % for limiting childbirth. Saini N K et al found the unmet need of 6.7% for spacing and 18.7 % for limiting the family. Sulthana B et al (2015)⁸ noted the unmet need of 4.9% for spacing and 22.5% for limiting. In present study unmet need was found more in Muslim population (p<0.001 highly significant).Similar finding was noted by Bhandari et al. In present study, unmet need of family planning was more in women belonging to middle and low socioeconomic status. Saini et al also had similar findings. In present study, main reasons for not using contraception was husband and family opposition (26.89%) followed by fertility related reasons (22.07%). Patil S. et al (2010) found that most common reason for not using contraception was its side effect (36.3%) which included headache and nausea. Sulthana B et al (2015)⁸ found the common reason to be lack of knowledge, shyness of women.

 

CONCLUSION

Though the adoption of Family Planning programme has experienced significant growth and expansion over the past half century, pregnancies continue to be unplanned and the unmet need for family planning remains substantially high. Unmet need for family planning are more in Muslim religion and Middle and Low socioeconomic status.

 

 

RECOMMENDATION

Efficient counselling of women and her family about contraception may help reduce this high prevalence of unmet need for Family Planning. Counselling to specially Muslim religion and Middle and Low socioeconomic status people.

 

REFERENCES

1. Kandel NR. Unmet Need for family planning and its Associated Factors among Married Women of Reproductive Age in Simichaur VDC of Gulmi District. Health Prospect 2012; 11:11-14.
2. Jain Akanksha, AswarNandkeshav R et al. Unmet Need for Family Planning Among the Married Women of Reproductive Age Group in a Rural Area, in International Journal of Health Sciences and Research (2014) ISSN: 2249-9571.
3. Begum S, Nair S, Donta B, Prakasam C. Prevalence of unmet need for family planning in urban slum communities, Mumbai.Int J Reprod Contracept Obstet Gynecol. 2014 Sep;3(3):627-630.
4. Park K. Text book of Preventive and social medicine 23^rd edition. M/S Banarasidas Bhanot publishers; 2015 page 511-512.
5. Bhandari GP, Premarajan KC, Jha N et al. Prevalence and determinants of unmet need for family planning in a district of eastern region of Nepal. Kathmandu University Medical Journal. 2006; 4 (14): 203-210.
6. Saini NK, Bhasin SK, Sharma R, Yadav G. Study of Unmet Need for Family Planning In A Resettlement Colony Of East Delhi. Health and Population- Perspectives and Issues 2007; 30 (2): 124-133.
7. Patil S S, Rashid K A, Narayan K A. Unmet need for family planning In Married Women In A Tribal Area Of India. Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine 2010; 10 (2): 44-51
8. Sulthana B, Shewade HD, Sunderamurthy B et al. Unmet need for family planning among married women in an urban area of Puducherry, India. Indian J Med Res 141, January 2015: 115-118.

 

 

 

 

 

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