JOURNAL OF HEALTH EDUCATION AND MOVEMENT BEHAVIOUR VOL. 1 NO I JULY 2000.
AN ASSESSEMENT OF THE KNOWLEDGEOF FAMILY PLANNING
METHODS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL GIRLS
BY
OYER1NDE, O.O. Ph.D. AND ONIFADE, O.A.
University of llorin
Abstract
The study assessed the knowledge of family planning methods among
Secondary School Girls in a typical Local Government Area of Kwara State, A
total of Ten Secondary School students whose ages ranged from 13 to 20 years
and above were sampled for the study. Two religions (Islam and Christianity^
were also assessed. In all, 3 00 female students were used as sample for the study.
The data were gathered through a validated questionnaire which was administered
to students. The instrument was found reliable at 0.80 coefficient at 0.05 level
while t-test and ANOVA were used in analyzing the data.
The result of the finding revealed that there were no significant differences
in she subjects' knowledge of family planning methods by their ages and religious
background.
INTRODUCTION
Family planning until recently was
a very sensitive^ subject in black Africa, it
is now being increasingly accepted as a
necessary ingredient of social-economic
development. Many African leaders now
accept family planning as an important
health factor contributing to the health of
mothers, children and every other users.
They also accept it as an important
contribution to many efforts aimed at
improving the status of Women (centre for
chronic Diseases prevention and Health
promotion 1989).
Family planning does not only
involved oral or other applicable
contraceptives but also involve whether a
child should be brought into the world or
not, the number and the spacing. All the
available birth control methods in the
world today could be grouped under
traditional, crude, natural and modern
methods (Hatcfier 1989)
According to Article 14 (F) of the w
population plan of Action (1994), a much
debate by African leaders Bucharest,
family planning was acceptable as a human
right of individuals and couples, stating
that;
"All couples and Individual have the
basic right to decide freely and spacing
responsibly the number and spacing
of their children and to have the
information, education and means to
do no, the responsibilities of couples
and individuals in the exercise of this
right takes into account the needs of
the living and future children and
their responsibilities towards the
community" (centre far chronic
Disease prevention and Health
promotion, 1989).
Family planning was initialed
Nigeria in the early 1950's by consumed
and influential group of woman the
JOURNAL OF HEALTH EDUCATION AND MOVEMENT BEHAVIOUR VOL., I NO I JULY, 2000
JOURNAL OF HEALTH EDUCATION AND MOVEMENT BEHAVIOUR VOL. 1 NO I JULY 2000.
federation Women council of Nigeria.
This group later metamorphosed into the
present National Council of Women
Societies (N.C.W.S.) and inaugurated the
planned parenthood Federation of Nigeria
(The Federal Ministry of Health, 1990)
presently, a host of clinics, health centres
and hospitals have been located in each
Local Government Are& by the Federal
Government to supply the family planning
needs of individuals and couples. The
organs associated with family planning In
Nigeria are mostly the public sector; they
are the Federal Ministry of Health, State
Ministries of Health and the planned
parenthood Federation of Nigeria (Yusuf
1991)
In response of certain pressing
questions on family planning, certain
Muslims (a prominent contemporary
authority) have summarized the classical,
religious doctrine in the following way.
Firstly, it is unanimously agreed that
abortion after the "quickening of the
embryo" is religiously forbidden and
legally punishable. Secondly if it becomes
certain that abortion is the only way to
save life of an endangered mother then
abortion is lawful; Thirdly, jurists disagree
with respect to abortion during the first
four months of conception. Some hold it
lawful on the ground that it entails no
destruction of any real human life while
others forbid it because it is still a
destruction of life in some form
(Hummudah 1982),
From the above classical religious
doctrine, one could understand that
abortion is permissible before the
quickening of the embryo. It is also
allowed to safe the life of an endangered
mother.
Family planning is in line with the
Christian faith. He (the Christian) should
endeavor to be a light in the darkness of
ignorance and painlessness. However,
family planning must be distinguished
from criminal abortion, which clearly is
unacceptable to the Christian (Oloruntoba
1987 and population Reports 1989).
However, despite the two above
religious doctrines and knowledge and
despite the establishment of family
planning public sections in Nigeria,
Nigeria still have a growing population of
106.085 million people in 198.
Following this trend, a projected
population of 163,484 million people in
the year 2,000 is predicted. The import on
this is that the nation should be aware of
population explosion in the near fume
(Yusuf l991),
Without any gain saying, the
unwanted/unplanned pregnancies among
secondary school female students is a
contributing factor to the Nigerian
population expiation explosion, If. this
happens among the students, one may be
forced to advice that every sexually active
student should have a knowledge of the
major methods of contraception so as to
prevent unwanted or unplanned pregnancy.
The knowledge they should have include:
i.
What family planning methods
look like,
ii,
How they work or how to use them
correctly,
iii,
How reliable they are
iv.
The procedures available for
getting contraceptive services, and
supply
v.
What side effects or problems may
arise from their use and what to do
to control side effect (Delia et al
1981).
PROBLEM OF STUDY
As can be observed, most studies on
family planning had been on how to use
and the rate of use of each method with
little study of whether female student in
secondary schools have adequate knowledge
of what they use at all or not The purpose
of the current study was, therefore to
assess the knowledge of secondary school
female students on the available family
planning methods.
JOURNAL OF HEALTH EDUCATION AND MOVEMENT BEHAVIOUR VOL. 1 NO I JULY 2000.
METHODOLOGY
positive and negative statements about
their knowledge of family planning
methods, The instrument composed of 30
statements showing their knowledge level
requiring responses in the "YES" or ''NO"
or form. Every YES response attracted (4
points) while every NO response attracted
no mark.
The data were collected by '.lie
researchers who personally administered
the instruments to students. This
procedure ensured a 100% return rate.
The statistical analysis included a t-test the
one way analysis of variance (ANOVA).
The subjects of this study were
three hundred female secondary school
students in a typical local government
Area of Kwara State. The subjects were
drawn from ten (randomly selected)
secondary schools and thirty respondents
from each school so selected. The design
used for this study was. The validated
pretest - post test control group designed
by Campbell and Stanley (1966). The self
structured questionnaire used for data
collection contained sections where
respondents gave their ages, religious
background, marital status etc. and
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
TABLE 1
T-TEST INVESTIGATING TUB DIFFERENCE IN SCOURE IN THE
KNOVVLEDGE OF FAMILY PLANNING METHODS BY RELIGIONS
Source of Variation (Region)
N
+
S.D.
df
T-test
Tab. Val.
Christianity
Muslim
%
71.92
75
14.81
298
0.68
-0.49
204
66.8
ns = not significant at 0.05 level.
Table 1 should the mean and
standard deviation of knowledge of family
planning between two religions,
The
above table shows 'that Christian
respondents have the lower mean score of
( 7 1 . 9 ) and the Muslim respondents a
higher .mean score (75). The results show
nc significant difference in the knowledge
of family planning between students in the
religions compared in the study (t= -0.49,
df = 298, p 005). This finding does not
show the dichotomous views of Christian
and on family planning among secondary
school females.
According to Mohammed and
Hammudah (1983, 1982) in Islam, the
l i m i t a t i o n of birth in its general meaning
cannot be accepted by both civil and
divine laws. Although, there are certain
Remark
p0.05
special circumstances in which the
exercise of birth control is For instance,
where the health and l i f e of the mother
is endangered, when sustenance and the
upbring of children may be unbearable and
in famines where children are being born
mentally deficient or retarded that having
more children will cause more agony and
misery to the parents and society.
Beyond' these deliberate abortion,
sterilization public, policy made to reduce
birth is not accepted in Islam.
On the other hand, Christians ho G
the belief that a Christian that does not
plan his family does harm to his faith, also
that children rearing has become a very
expensive commitment, baby care costs
have sky-rocketed, there is no more free
education, health care is also expensive.
Therefore, Christian families should be
prayerfully planned and not through the
destruction of foefus or deliberate abortion
(Oloruntoba 1987).
JOURNAL OF HEALTH EDUCATION AND MOVEMENT BEHAVIOUR VOL. 1 NO I JULY 2000.
With the above finding, one will feel
that because one religion supports family
planning and the other not supporting
(except on special ground) it
there should therefore be signified,
difference in their knowledge acquisition
This however was not found to be so.
TABLE II
ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE INVESTIGATING THE DIFFERENCE IN SCORE
OF DIFFERENT AGES IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF FAMILY PLANNING
METHODS
Score of
N
Score in
S.D.
Sum of
D.F. aMean
Variat (Age)
13-15 Yrs.
16-18 Yrs.
19-20
Yrs 20 Yrs +
Total
54
184
53
9
300
Percentage
Square
Squ
15.0
-7.24
101.22 0.69
16.3
2.53
3101.22 0.69
17.7
-2.47
3101.22 0.69
3.0
6.24
3101.22 0.6
100
927264 299 74.20
.59
F.V
F.V.
Re.
0.50
0.50
0.50 p-0.5
0.50
Ns=not significant
A critical analysis of table 11
indicates no significant difference among
the groups of students in respects to their
scores in the knowledge of family
planning methods. It also means that all
the groups responded almost in the same
way to the question items. Although it
was observed that subjects 20 years and
above have greater knowledge of family
planning methods. This may be as a result
of their maturity in 'terms of age, literacy in
reading advertisements in newspapers,
listening to radio and television. Also this
finding reveals that this age bracket run
messages on purchasing of family
planning materials where they read and
gain more knowledge. This finding tows
the line of the findings of Yusuf (1991)
who found no significant difference in the
altitude/knowledge of
family planning
among his subjects.
CONCLUSION
This study was to assess the
knowledge of family planning methods
among female secondary students.
Talking generally, the study reveals that
most secondary school female students dc
have adequate knowledge of the family
planning methods. However significantly.
differences do not exist in their levels of
knowledge acquired.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The following recommendations were
made based on the finding of the study:
The planned parenthood F. of
Nigeria and all sectors of family
planning should from time organise
lectures,
seminars
symposium
for
students at all ages teach the type of family
planning where to get them and how to
available birth control measures, that all
ages of female student study do not differ
in their know family planning methods calls
for this now than ever to that knowledge is not
acquired through wrong channels.
Also, the Federal Government of
Nigeria make it a point of dut y to
introduce to all Nigerian Secondary School
students some birth control measures free of
charge.
JOURNAL OF HEALTH EDUCATION AND MOVEMENT BEHAVIOUR VOL. 1 NO I JULY 2000.
Lastly, it is imperative to conduct
research into the knowledge acquisition of
family planning between boys and girls
(students), private and government
institutors co-educational and single
sexed schools, Northern and Southern
Secondary School students in Nigeria.
REFERENCES
Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention
and Health Promotion (1989)
Family Planning Methods and
Practice; Africa U.S.A. Division
of Reproductive Health.
Delia, R.B., Paulia, F.B. Donald J.B
(1981) Contraception; A guide to
Nirth Planning Method: U.S.A.
The Community arid Family Study
Centre, Pp. vii-viii.
Publication Bureau, Pp. 2H -216
Hatcher, R.A. er al (1989) Contraceptive
Technology; International Edition)
U.S.A. Donna Armstrong Publisher,
Pp. 417.
Mohammed, H (1983) Islam is the Diving
Messages in one. Lagos. Rohhib
Press Pp 161-167
''
Oloruntoba, S.O. (1987): family. Bites. Ilorin.
Atoto Press Pp. 46 – 50.
Population Reports (1989): Promoting
Family Planning with TV Video!
and
Film
(Family Planning,
Programs) Series J, (38) December,
Pp.17.
The Federal Ministry of Health (1990) Guide to
Family- Planning J in Nigeria. Yaba,
Lagos,
T Director, Primary Health
Care Federal Ministry of Health P. VX.
World Population Plan of Action (1994)
Reports on Contraceptive Issues
Article 14 (F),
Yusuf, B. (1991) Perception of
Universities Sports Men and Women
Towards Fan Family Planning Journal __ the
Association of Sports Science
Medicine (N.A.S.S.M) Volume I Pp. 121. HI125,