The Role of Men in Family Planning in a Rural Community of Western Ethiopia
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Date
2004-04
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
In recognition of men’s influence on family life decision and actions, and the family
planning needs of men, family planning programs are encouraged to involve men. To
determine men and women factor that affect family planning utilization by the couples,
a cross sectional, community based study was conducted in six Rural Kebeles of Bodji
woreda of western Ethiopia; Between Dec24,2003-Jan3, 2004. Systematic random
sampling was used to select the study subjects. A pre-tested questionnaire in Oromo
language was used to collect information from the couples. Similar questions were
posed to the couples simultaneously but at distance they couldn’t hear each other. A
total of 365 married couples were included. Nearly 100% of them are Oromo and
Christians, 96% are farmers, 79.1% of men and 63% of women had formal education.
Eighty-four percent of men and 86.3% of women have information about family
planning, 82-% men and 89.6% women believe that family planning is important. The
majority, 90.6% of men approves contraceptive use by their wives, but only 70% of
women reported perceived approval by their husbands. Both bivariate and multivariate
analysis has shown that, age of the couples ,knowledge of family planning methods by
men, men as advocate for contraceptive use, discussion about family planning,
perceived approval by husband, women education, ,family size, are predictors of family
planning use by women. On the other hand, husbands’ opposition was positively
related to contraceptive use by women. The reason behind is not clear. In conclusion, in
married couples, both women and men factors affect family planning service utilization
by the women. Therefore all programs targeted to promoting family planning have to
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target both men and women, men should be considered as an important agent to
expand family planning utilization
Key words: role of men, family planning, rural community
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Keywords
Role of men, Family planning, Rural community