The attitudes towards conception among 15-49-year-old women

• Published in: The European journal of contraception & reproductive health care Vol. 17; p. S77
• Main Authors: Basar, F, Sen, S, Aba, Y Arzu, Ozkan, F, Onat, GB
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Carnforth Taylor & Francis Ltd 01.06.2012
• Subjects: Birth control; Fertility; Menopause; Obstetrics; Pregnancy; Womens health
• ISSN: 1362-5187; 1473-0782

It is an important factor knowing the attitude of individuals towards birth control methods when planning family planning services. The objective of this study was to evaluate fertility characteristics and attitudes towards family planning. This research was cross-sectional and descriptive with 130 females asked to fill out a questionnaire about their obstetric history and socio-demographic characteristics. They were also given the Family Planning Attitude Scale (FPAS). The criteria to be selected for the sample group were: (i) being sexually active, (ii) having graduated from at least primary school, (iii) not haing any psychiatric disorders, (iv) not being in menopause, and (v) using at least one birth control methods during the last six months. The FPAS was developed by ...rsal and Kubilay for the Turkish population in 2007. The scale is a Likert type and has 34 items. It has three sub-scales: 'attitudes of the community about contraceptive methods', 'attitudes of individuals about contraceptive methods' and 'attitudes towards marriage and pregnancy'. The scoring is from 34-170. Higher scores show positive attitudes. Cronbach Alpha value is 0.90. Frequency and percentage distribution, and the t test were used to analyse the data. A total of 41.5% of the participants were between 36 and 49 years, 35.4% had graduated from primary school, and 53.1% had been married for 11 years and over. The number of pregnancies for 24.6% of them was 4 and over, with 29.2% having two live births, and 25.4% having an abortion. The FPAS mean score was 124.56±17.10. It shows that the women's attitudes were largely against family planning. The mean score in the 'attitudes of the community against contraceptive methods' sub-scale was 51.86±9.67, in the 'attitudes towards contraceptive methods' sub-scale it was 42.86±7.45 and in the 'attitudes towards marriage and pregnancy' sub-scale it was 29.82±4.51. The mean score of FPAS shows that the women's attitudes about family planning was not at a desirable level. So, healthcare professionals should provide consultation concerning family planning services at every area of their work to bridge this gap. In this way prevention of unwanted pregnancies can be possible; contributing to the protection of women's health. (ProQuest: ... denotes formulae/symbols omitted.)