Determinants of utilisation of modern family planning in a fishing community:

Abstract

Background: Family Planning is credited mainly for its role in bringing down birth rates globally and particularly in developing countries and it is considered as the key to achieving all eight Millennium Development Goals and in particular Millennium Development Goal number five. Objective: The aim of the study was to assess determinants of utilization of modern family planning in a fishing community. Method: A descriptive cross sectional study was taken up to assess the determinants of utilization of modern family planning methods in Migingo Island. A total of 173 women from Migingo island health center using systematic sampling procedure. An interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Data was entered into SPSS 17.0 software and analyzed using SPSS 17. Result: From the assessment done the mean age of the respondents was 25.9 (+/- 7.3) years, age range was 15- 49, and 48.9% of the respondents (22.2%) were currently using a modern FP were in the age bracket of 20-29 years. Only (22.2%) were currently using a modern FP method. The most frequently used modern methods of Family Planning at the Island Include; injectables, implants, tubal ligation, Intra-uterine Contraceptive device, and condoms. Injectables and implants were the most widely used methods. Spouse approval and spouse level of education both showed statistically significant levels of association with modern family planning use when bivariable analysis was performed[P=0.001 ] , Perceived accessibility of FP services showed a statistically significant association with FP use at p-value P≤0.01. spouse approval and spouse level of education; it was eight times more likely that participants whose spouses had at- tained secondary level of education or higher would use a modern method of FP OR 8.27 [95% CI 3.675-18.619 ] : P< 0.000] compared to respondents whom their spouses had only attained primary level of education or none. It was also more likely for participants who had approval of their spouses to use modern FP methods OR 0.24 [95% CI 0.102-0.560] P=0.001]. Conclusion: Prevalence of modern FP in the fishing community of Migingo Island is low, with low ease of access of the services. The main factors that determined the use of FP were spousal approval of FP use and spousal level of education.