Spousal Communication and Contraceptive Use among Married Couples in Rural Areas of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study ascertained the influence of spousal communication about family planning on contraceptive use among married couples in the rural areas of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Data for the study were obtained from one hundred and fifty married couples using multi-stage sampling procedure. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression. Results indicate that 71.3% of the respondents were females with an average age of 38 years while 28.7% of them were males with an average age of 49 years; fourteen years was the respondents’ average years of marriage. Findings also show that barrier methods, hormonal contraceptives and injectables were the contraceptive methods highly used by the respondents; and majority of the married couples had a favourable spousal communication about family planning disposition. Multiple regression analysis result shows that contraceptive use by the respondents was significantly influenced by their spousal communication about family planning. It is recommended, among others, that intervention programmes of Governmental and Non-Governmental agencies in Akwa Ibom State emphasize the importance of spousal communication about family planning in their programmes and encourage same among targeted beneficiaries of such programmes.