Factors associated with male involvement in family planning in the Asuogyaman District, Ghana
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Date
June, 2019
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Abstract
Family planning (FP) is a way of controlling populations and it helps in reducing
unintended pregnancies. Pregnancy is expected to occur by choice and not by chance
and the goal of family planning is to assist couples and individuals of all ages to
achieve this reproductive goal to improve their general reproductive health. The
continuous use of contraceptive methods has not only resulted in the improvement of
health-related outcomes, but also greatly reduced neonatal, infant and maternal
mortality. However, family planning coverage remains low in Ghana at 24% as well
as in the Asuogyaman district at 17% per the 2016 district annual report.
The study employed a quantitative method to determine factors influencing male
involvement in FP in the Asuogyaman district. The study design was cross-sectional.
A structured questionnaire was used to gather data from 308 respondents by simple
random sampling. Data was checked for completeness and accuracy and analyzed
using STATA version 12.1 at a significant level of 5%.
Contraceptives awareness (94.7%) and knowledge (71.3%) were high among male
respondents. Though a majority (70.3%) perceived family planning as good for
controlling family size and the prevention of unwanted pregnancies, up to 44% of
male respondents’ perceived contraceptive use makes a woman promiscuous and
62.3% said their religious and traditional beliefs were against its use. Condoms
(52.5%) were the most used of the contraceptive methods. Upon multivariate logistic
regression, factors associated with male involvement in pregnancy planning were
ethnicity, educational level, occupation and monthly income. Factors associated with
male involvement in planning desired family size included age groupings, ethnicity,
occupation and religion. Factors associated with male involvement in family
planning/contraceptives use were marital status, occupation, and religion.
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In conclusion, contraceptive knowledge among men was found high, marginal
number of men had negative attitude towards contraceptives of making a women
promiscuous. An average number of men had involved in family planning with regard
to pregnancy planning, desired family size and contraceptives/family planning use.
However, contraceptives/family planning use was found above average among men of
reproductive age. Significant factors associated with males’ involvement in pregnancy
planning, desired family size and FP method use were ethnicity, educational level,
occupation, monthly income, age groupings, religion, and marital status.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi Ghana, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of a degree of Master of Public Health in Population and Reproductive Health.
Keywords
Male, Family planning, Asuogyaman, Ghana