Practice of Family Planning among Married Female Attendants to Shawa Family Health Unit, Dakahlia, Egypt

Background: Contact of healthcare team with healthcare customers is a good opportunity to communicate health education regarding family planning (FP).
Objectives: to assess FP practice among rural female attendants to Shawa Family Health Center and to determine the associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Shawa village (Dakahlia governorate, Egypt). The target population included all married non-pregnant attendants during the period of the study. A predesigned questionnaire was used to collect data related to socioeconomic characteristics, FP practice, satisfaction with the service provided. A convenient sample was obtained.
Results: The study included 449 women. Contraception prevalence rate was 46.5%. The prevalence of unmet need for limiting pregnancy was 23.8%. Logistic regression shows that women’s age of (25-34.9y), ≥35Y, insufficient income, having more than 2 children were independent significant predictors of higher FP use [AOR (95%CI): 7.8 (4.4-13.6), 1.4(0.7-2.8), 5.4(3-9.7), 2.4(1.3-4.3) respectively]. Among women aged ≥25Y, the unmet need increased significantly among illiterate women [AOR (95%CI): 11.9 (3.86-37.08)], while it decreased significantly among women with insufficient income [AOR (95%CI): 0.13(0.05-0.32)]. Important concerns related to privacy and counselling were documented. Conclusions: Findings showed poor FP practice among attendants. Contact of attendants with healthcare staff does not imply good FP practice if this contact is not accompanied by active communication and education. Poverty may be a trigger of higher FP practice. Unmet need for pregnancy limiting relates mainly to low education level. Information, Education, Counselling activities are urgently needed.