Socio economic factors constraining the provision of family planning services in Lurambi division, Kakamega district

Abstract

This study attempts to examine socio-cultural factors which influence the adoption of new ideas, especially family planning. The socio-cultural factors considered include husband-wife communication, marital status, religion, education, group pressure and preference for a son. This study identified the manner in which these factors influence the adoption of family planning. Family planning has been in existence for a long time, yet only a small percentage of the population has actually accepted it. That is the premise of this study. The most important decisions and activities that influence fertility are made in the family. For this reason, the focus of the study has been the family which is also the unit of analysis. Data were obtained from 170 respondents (88 married women and 82 of their husband), which was supplemented by information from resource persons such as school head teachers, church leaders, family planning personnel and local community leaders. Data were also gathered from focus group discussions, non-participant observation, participant observation and documentary sources. Analysis of the data shows that higher educational level positively relate to adoption of family planning. The results also indicate that group pressure plays a role in determining whether one is to adopt, continue or withdraw from the family planning programme. Most religious groups had no official stand on family planning. The study found that religion influenced the adoption of vi family planning in a two-sided dimension in the sense that some religious groups encouraged its adoption, while others dissuaded people from doing so. Preference for male children is positively related to the low adoption of family planning. So is communication between the husband and wife on fertility related matters. But men's predominance in decision making also relate to the low adoption of family planning. The interaction between socio-cultural factors seem to explain the low adoption of family planning in Lurambi despite what the government is doing to propagate the idea. These factors be seriously addressed in order to step up adoption of family planning.