| dc.description.abstract | Background: Post postpartum contraceptive use offers an opportunistic window for counseling and adopting family planning methods to space child birth. Very little is currently known about the postpartum contraceptive utilization in Uganda and yet this information is essential in preventing unintended pregnancies.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the factors influencing postpartum contraceptive use among women attending postnatal clinic at Naguru hospital.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was carried out. Convenience sampling technique was used to enroll 358 women attending postnatal clinic at Naguru Referral Hospital. A pretested questionnaire was used for data collection and data analysis was done using SPSS version 16. Chi-square test was used for bi-variate analysis.
Results: The majority, 34.4% of respondents were between the age of 30-34, the most dominant religion was catholic 33.2%, 53.4% had attained secondary education and 47.8% were employed. Age; (chi square=28.187, P=0.000), education level; (chi square=13.008, P=0.001), employment status; (chi square=24.632, P=0.0000) and marital status: (chi square=6.494 and P=0.011) were statistically significant among the Socio demographic factors of the respondents. All the respondents (100%) had heard about PPFP, 56.1% stated that their source of information was from health workers, 81% had Knowledge on contraceptive methods used during post- partum and the most used family planning method was injectables (35.5%). Hearing about PPFP (chi square=7.679, p=0.003), source of information (chi square=7.824, p=0.016), knowledge on any contraceptive methods used during post-partum (chi square= 9.903, p=0.031) and knowledge about methods used (chi square=7.824, p= 0.016) were statistically significant among knowledge factors that influenced contraceptive use.
Majority of the respondents’ cultures 59.2% supported the use of PPFP, with 84.4% desiring to have more children, 55.9% thought that it was appropriate to get pregnant after 12 months. Most of the respondents (84.4%) had used family planning methods; the mostly used method was IUD (39.1%). All the respondents (100%) were using at least a family planning method and 64.8% did not know if PPFP was socially accepted in their culture. Preferred child spacing (chi square=40.870, P=0.000) and preferred family planning method (chi square=7.484, P=0.006) were statistically significant among the socio-cultural factors.
Regarding health facility factors, the majority of respondents (83%) traveled a distance of 1-5 km to reach the health facility, with (90.5%) stating that the health facilities offered PPFP services. Almost all the women had attended ante-natal care while pregnant (97.8%) and 85.2% had been sensitized by health workers on PPFP use. Attendance of ante-natal services (chi square= 6.579, P=0.02), attitude of the health workers in providing the PPFP services (chi square= 9.903, P=0.031) and sensitization of the women on PPFP use by health workers (chi square=7.679, P=0.003) were statistically significant among the health facility factors.
Conclusions: All the respondents 100% had heard about postpartum contraception; this was enabled through the use of media as a source of information as mentioned by 56.1% of the respondents. Media was found to be the best source of information due to its accessibility and affordability.
Eighty one (81%) of the postpartum mothers were found to be knowledgeable about contraceptive methods used during post-partum period and the mostly known contraceptive methods were injectables and IUDs.
The significant relationships was observed between preferred child spacing (chi square=40.870, P=0.000), preferred family planning method (chi square=7.484, P=0.006) and Postpartum Contraceptive use.
Regarding Health facility factors, findings at multivariate analysis revealed that women who attended ANC while pregnant were sensitized about postpartum family planning and this implies that they were most probable to practice it (P-value=0.036**, 95%, C.I= 0..009-0.322).
Recommendations: Much as postpartum women had ever heard about postpartum contraceptive use from different sources, there is a need for continued counseling about body changes so that they can keep using the method.
Service providers should engage couples to discuss how to space they children because it helps them to do other activities that will help them in future The hospital administration of Naguru Referral Hospital should increase awareness on other methods of contraception.
The government should work hand in hand with cultural leaders thus increasing family planning use so that they can get rid of misunderstanding the family planning method.
The government should make family planning services accessible to the general population. The majority of respondents did not use the postpartum services despite the fact that they were offered at the health facilities, they should display and demonstrate all family planning methods in family planning departments so that women can have better comparison and use methods correctly. | en_US |
