Close friends & families - How do they influence contraceptive behaviour among women in ten states in Nigeria? A Population based study
Summary:
Nigeria is the 5th most populous country in the world with an annual population growth rate of about 2.7% and TFR of 5.5 children, this means there could be more strains on available infrastructures and level of investment would not match population growth. Population control through family planning offers a way out. However, impediments exist including contraceptive experience of family and friends. This is because the African society is one that recognises social organization where people learn from the advice and experience of other members of their social network (families and friends). Recently, evidence in public health literature exists on the importance of family and friends' contraceptive experience on women's contraceptive behaviour, but gaps exists in knowledge on how the interplay of these experiences influence contraceptive behaviour in the study location. Hence, this study examines the influence of family and friends' experience on the contraceptive behaviour of women. The study utilized a data from population-based survey of women from 10 TCI intervention states in Nigeria. It was found that the contraceptive experience of families and friends exert significant level of influence on the contraceptive intention of women in these states even after controlling for the effect of individual socio-economic and demographic characteristics. Experience of family and friends is an influential factor in contraceptive behaviour of women in these states in Nigeria and it means that when families and friends are users of family planning methods will increase the confidence of other women in the uptake of a method.
Background/Objectives:
Population growth is an issue of concern in Nigeria as investment in infrastructure might not be enough for future growth. Scholarly evidence showed that friends & families' experience influence the contraceptive decision of women but gap still exist on how the interplay of the experience of close families and friends strategically influence contraceptive behaviour of women in the study location. Hence, this study examines the influence of family and friends on the contraceptive behaviour of women in 10 TCI Intervention states in Nigeria.
Description of Intervention and/or Methods/Design:
This research utilized data from a population based cross sectional survey of 11,365 women (1549 years) selected in a multi-stage stratified random sampling design across ten TCI intervention states in Nigeria Niger, Kano, Ogun, Delta, Bauchi, Abia, Anambra, Plateau, Rivers and Taraba in Nigeria. Data obtained from the study were analysed using STATA 15 at three levels of univariate which involved frequency of variables, bivariate using the Pearson chi-square and multivariate analysis using the binary logistic regression. Two models were presented and in the full model, the odds of adopting any methods of family planning due to the influence of family and friends was examined after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics of the women.
Results/Lessons Learned:
The result showed that the odds of contraceptive intention use was two times higher for those who reported that some or most of their family and friends are using a family planning method compared to those who did not report so (OR=2.01, p< 0.05). In the final model where we adjusted for the socio-economic and demographic characteristics of the women, family and friends exert further influence on contraceptive use intention even after controlling for the influence of other variables as it was found that the odds of contraceptive intention to use was 58% higher for those who reported that some or most of their family and friends were using a family planning method compared to those who didn't report so (OR=1.58, p< 0.05).
Discussion/Implications for the Field:
This implies that when women sense that their families and friends are users of family planning methods, this gives them more confidence and impetus to adopt a method. It is hereby recommended that more intervention efforts should focus on communicating the benefits of family planning to individuals since it has been established that when a woman uses contraceptive, she could influence her families and friends to also become users. This in turn will ensure that more women serve as family planning champions in their social organizations.
Abstract submitted by:
Segun Akinola - NUHRI
Oluwatobi Alawode
Akinsewa AKiode - NUHRI
Nigeria is the 5th most populous country in the world with an annual population growth rate of about 2.7% and TFR of 5.5 children, this means there could be more strains on available infrastructures and level of investment would not match population growth. Population control through family planning offers a way out. However, impediments exist including contraceptive experience of family and friends. This is because the African society is one that recognises social organization where people learn from the advice and experience of other members of their social network (families and friends). Recently, evidence in public health literature exists on the importance of family and friends' contraceptive experience on women's contraceptive behaviour, but gaps exists in knowledge on how the interplay of these experiences influence contraceptive behaviour in the study location. Hence, this study examines the influence of family and friends' experience on the contraceptive behaviour of women. The study utilized a data from population-based survey of women from 10 TCI intervention states in Nigeria. It was found that the contraceptive experience of families and friends exert significant level of influence on the contraceptive intention of women in these states even after controlling for the effect of individual socio-economic and demographic characteristics. Experience of family and friends is an influential factor in contraceptive behaviour of women in these states in Nigeria and it means that when families and friends are users of family planning methods will increase the confidence of other women in the uptake of a method.
Background/Objectives:
Population growth is an issue of concern in Nigeria as investment in infrastructure might not be enough for future growth. Scholarly evidence showed that friends & families' experience influence the contraceptive decision of women but gap still exist on how the interplay of the experience of close families and friends strategically influence contraceptive behaviour of women in the study location. Hence, this study examines the influence of family and friends on the contraceptive behaviour of women in 10 TCI Intervention states in Nigeria.
Description of Intervention and/or Methods/Design:
This research utilized data from a population based cross sectional survey of 11,365 women (1549 years) selected in a multi-stage stratified random sampling design across ten TCI intervention states in Nigeria Niger, Kano, Ogun, Delta, Bauchi, Abia, Anambra, Plateau, Rivers and Taraba in Nigeria. Data obtained from the study were analysed using STATA 15 at three levels of univariate which involved frequency of variables, bivariate using the Pearson chi-square and multivariate analysis using the binary logistic regression. Two models were presented and in the full model, the odds of adopting any methods of family planning due to the influence of family and friends was examined after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics of the women.
Results/Lessons Learned:
The result showed that the odds of contraceptive intention use was two times higher for those who reported that some or most of their family and friends are using a family planning method compared to those who did not report so (OR=2.01, p< 0.05). In the final model where we adjusted for the socio-economic and demographic characteristics of the women, family and friends exert further influence on contraceptive use intention even after controlling for the influence of other variables as it was found that the odds of contraceptive intention to use was 58% higher for those who reported that some or most of their family and friends were using a family planning method compared to those who didn't report so (OR=1.58, p< 0.05).
Discussion/Implications for the Field:
This implies that when women sense that their families and friends are users of family planning methods, this gives them more confidence and impetus to adopt a method. It is hereby recommended that more intervention efforts should focus on communicating the benefits of family planning to individuals since it has been established that when a woman uses contraceptive, she could influence her families and friends to also become users. This in turn will ensure that more women serve as family planning champions in their social organizations.
Abstract submitted by:
Segun Akinola - NUHRI
Oluwatobi Alawode
Akinsewa AKiode - NUHRI
Source
Approved abstract for the postponed 2020 SBCC Summit in Marrakech, Morocco. Provided by the International Steering Committee for the Summit. Image credit: Chris de Bode for CGIAR via Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)