Factors Influencing Family Planning Services among Rural Women in Nigeria

Aim: This study aimed to investigate factors influencing family planning services among rural women in Nigeria.

Methodology: This study employed a cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical research design to examine the factors that influence the use of family planning services among rural women in Nigeria using Oyo State as a case study. The target population for this study was women 15 years and older. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the participants. First, a random selection of rural communities in the Surulere local government area was conducted, followed by a systematic sampling of households within those communities. Then, eligible women from the selected households were invited to participate in the study. In all, three hundred (300) women were recruited for the study.

Results: A total of 300 questionnaires were administered to respondents and they were all retrieved. Out of these, 296 were valid. This was due to irregular, incomplete, and inappropriate responses to some questionnaires. The results showed that the majority of the respondents had heard of family planning (95.61%), with social media being the most common source of information (30.07%). Knowledge of family planning methods was high, with 91.55% of respondents being aware of at least one method. Condoms were the most known method (53.34%). The majority of respondents (69.93%) believed that family planning is important, with child spacing being the most cited benefit (56.38%). Fear of side effects was the primary reason for not using family planning services (65.63%). The quality of family planning services and healthcare providers' attitudes were perceived as varied. While 20.61% rated the quality as excellent, 30.07% rated it as poor, and 7.76% rated it as very poor. Healthcare providers were perceived as very supportive by 19.26% of respondents, while 28.38% viewed them as not very supportive, and 13.85% as not supportive at all.

Conclusion: From the findings of this study, factors influencing family planning services among rural women in Nigeria, include knowledge, attitudes, cultural beliefs, accessibility, and quality of services. Efforts should be made to address these factors to improve the uptake of family planning services and promote reproductive health among rural women in Nigeria.