Knowledge,Attitude,Practice And Factors Influencing The Use Of Family Planning Methods Among Married Women In Mali And Senegal

Objective To investigate the knowledge,attitudes and practices of contraceptive use among Malian and Senegalese women and explore the main factors influencing the use of contraceptive methods,particularly in terms of the number of children women want.This research seeks to generate an evidence base for more appropriate interventions for Family Planning.Methods 602 females of childbearing age(16–50 years)were selected in sites in southern Mali and Senegal through a convenience sampling method.A structured questionnaire was used,but in cases of poor literacy a structured interview was also provided at sites during 2018.Results 298 respondents in Mali and 304 in Senegal completed questionnaires or structured interviews.The majority of respondents in both countries(with 77.9 percent in Mali and 85.9 in Senegal)were aware of Family Planning methods Respondents from both countries express a favorable attitude toward Family Planning.Respondents identified feeling pressured by their husbands as a main reason for desiring to have more children(50.3 percent of our Malian sample and by 45.4 percent the Senegalese sample).Using modern contraceptives was mostly correlated with having discussed contraception with the husband among both Senegalese and Malian respondents [OR=5.5,95 percent CI(2.9-10.7),p<0.001] and [OR=27.8,95 percent CI(13.1-59.2),p<0.001].Conclusions Although respondents in both countries were aware of family planning and were favorable toward it,the use of family planning methods remains low in both of these countries with high fertility rates.Several social and cultural factors resulted in slight differences between the two countries.The involvement of husbands in Family Planning appears to be one of the more important factors impacting the use of Family Planning.