Wives' and husbands' contraceptive knowledge and beliefs and pregnancy planning behavior in rural Nigeria

Globally, the women-centered approach to family planning service delivery and research is being replaced by one which encourages male responsibility and participation. Recognizing this shift, this study applied a Reciprocal Determinism framework to exploring the importance of each partner's contraceptive knowledge and beliefs for pregnancy planning behaviors of the couple. The study examined these relationships in a sample of 213 couples surveyed in a WHO-sponsored panel study of fertility awareness and pregnancy avoidance in Osun State, southwestern Nigeria, by Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.;Significant predictive ability was found for wives' and husbands' variables. Results of logistic regression analyses showed pregnancy planning behaviors of couples in this rural area are predicted by a combination of personal, behavioral capability and social environment variables of each partner. However, consistent use of contraception and use of effective contraception are not predicted by the same set of variables. Consistent contraceptive use by a couple is related to wife's age, religion and parity and husband's ethnicity, place of birth and a belief that wives should comply with their husbands' fertility wishes. A wife's contraceptive knowledge and past use, more so than the husband's, is associated with use of effective contraception by the couple. A couple's use of modern contraception is also significantly associated with husband's place of birth and wife's religion.;Culturally-appropriate and gender-sensitive service and education programs are clearly indicated for males and females. Reproductive health policy reforms that encourage male participation in pregnancy planning are needed. Given the strong influence of the husband's beliefs on couple behaviors, caution should be exercised in implementing male participation interventions. Consideration should also be given to implementing broad-based social development reforms that will enable rural residents to improve their quality of life.