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Attitudes Towards Family Size and Family Planning in Rural Ghana—Danfa Project: 1972 Survey Findings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

D. W. Belcher ,
A. K. Neumann ,
S. Ofosu-Amaah ,
D. D. Nicholas  and
S. N. Blumenfeld
D. W. Belcher
Affiliation:
School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
A. K. Neumann
Affiliation:
School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
S. Ofosu-Amaah
Affiliation:
Department of Community Health, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana
D. D. Nicholas
Affiliation:
School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
S. N. Blumenfeld
Affiliation:
School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
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Summary

This report describes a family planning KAP survey conducted in 2000 households in rural Ghana between April and October, 1972, as one of the Danfa Project’s baseline studies. Subsequent re-surveys were done in 1975 and 1977 to assess changes related to project health education and family planning programmes.

Reported knowledge about family planning was three times that reported in previous studies in rural Ghana. About 70% of the respondents approve of family planning, but most want a large family, with over six children. At all ages, males wanted two or three more children than did women.

The current 3% population growth rate in Ghana may increase due to continued early age of marriage, the rising size of the reproductive age group and improved pregnancy outcome.

Although the expected relationships between knowledge and use of family planning and age and education were present, these differentials were typically only 10–15%. In the project area it appears that women will be most important in making the decision to practise family planning, although motivation of males is being stressed.

Most villagers hear about family planning through informal, word-of-mouth channels with relatively little use of news media, family planning workers or clinic health personnel. To improve the practice of family planning, village-based health educators are working with volunteers including traditional birth attendants, community leaders, teachers and church groups.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 10 , Issue 1 , January 1978 , pp. 59 - 79
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1978

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