Impact of perceptions about children and procreation on family-planning practices

摘要

Objective: The present study looks at how family-planning (FP) practices might be influenced by perceptions about children and procreation. We hypothesised that adding the perceived value of children and procreation to Ajzen's 1985 model would improve its predictive power. Method: Two hundred and seventy Nigerian women, 120 living in an urban area and 150 living in a rural area, answered a questionnaire about their use of FP. The questionnaire contained items assessing the variables found in Ajzen's model (attitude, perceived control, subjective norms, intention) as well as items assessing perceptions about children and procreation. Results: The results confirmed that child-related perceptions improved predictions for both rural and urban women (improvements of 2.4% and 2.8%, respectively). They also had an effect on FP practices. More specifically, the more positive a woman's perceptions of children, the less inclined she was to engage in FP. Conclusions: Recommendations are made in view of taking this variable into account in FP promotion programmes.