Assessment Of Women's Knowledge Regarding Family Planning.

: Objective: The aim of the study to determining the women's knowledge regarding contraceptive, and to identify the relationship between women's knowledge and Socio-demographic characteristics( Age, educational level, residence and employment). Methodology: A descriptive study design was conducted to achieve the objectives of the study. The study was carried out in the antenatal care unit of Al-Quads primary health care center in the Mosul governorate /Iraq during 2010. A random sampling consist of 62women in age group between (15-44)years. Data were collected by using questionnaire through an interview technique. The data were analyzed by using the statistical package for social sciences program. Results: The results shows that the most of the study sample was used medical methods in the process of family planning (51.61%), and women's knowledge are good towered the family planning and mean of women's knowledge (1.66). The results revealed that there are non – significant deference between women's knowledge and some demographic characteristics except the educational level . Conclusion:- The researchers concluded that the women's knowledge regarding family planning generally were good, and there are no significance difference between women's knowledge and their demographic data except educational level. Recommendations:- The researchers recommended that increase use of communication channels with community , such as publications and audiovisual material. This can have a great impact in enhancing women's knowledge, promoting contraceptive use, and dispelling fears and misconceptions.


INTRODUCTION
The widespread adoption of family planning represents one of the most dramatic changes of the 20th century.The growing use of contraception around the world has given couples the ability to choose the number and spacing of their children and has had tremendous lifesaving benefits.Yet despite these impressive gains, contraceptive use is still low and the need for contraception high in some of the world's poorest and most populous places. (1)here is a safe and effective family planning method for every woman that can enable her to protect her health and that of her children.More than half of all couples in the developing world are using family planning to delay, space, or limit future pregnancies, yet the need for family planning keeps increasing as the number of women of reproductive age continues to grow.An estimated (137) million women worldwide have an unmet need for family planning they are not using any method and report that they want to avoid a pregnancy. (2)ost women welcome pregnancy and childbirth, yet the risks of illness and death associated with these events are very high in some parts of the world.In developing countries, a woman's lifetime risk of dying due to pregnancy and childbirth is 1 in 75, or almost 100 times higher than the 1 in 7,300 risk in developed countries. (3)omen may have an unmet need for family planning for a variety of reasons: lack of knowledge about the risk of becoming pregnant; fear of side effects of contraceptives; perceptions that their husbands, other family members, or their religion opposes family planning; or lack of access to family planning services.Many of these barriers could be overcome through better information and counseling for both women and men. (4)here is now a broad consensus among researchers, health educators and health care managers that provision of good quality family planning services encourages acceptance or continuation of contraceptive use. (5)The family planning programs helped pave the way for many subsequent health, social, and economic programs.They helped establish the feasibility and legitimacy of mounting large-scale interventions aimed at such objectives as improving maternal and child health, eradicating disease, improving nutrition, enhancing educational opportunities, and undertaking village economic development. (6)Objectives of the study to assess the women's knowledge regarding family planning and to identify the relationship between women's knowledge and there some demographic characteristics

METHODOLOGY
A descriptive study (quantitative design) was applied in order to carry out the study.The study was carried out in the antenatal care unit of Al-Quads primary health care center at the left side of the Mosul City/ Iraq during .A random sampling consisted (62) women who aged between (15-44) years visited the primary health care centers.
The variables of the questionnaire and methods used by the investigator were explained briefly with all women in the simple way.Data were collected by using questionnaire throughout interview technique.The collection data tool consist of two parts include:-Part (1) consisted of (6 items) include some demographic data:-age, educational level, job, number of the children, age at marriage, type of contraceptive.Parts (2) consist (16 items) include question about family planning (general knowledge, benefit and side effect of family planning).The period of the study extend from 10/5/2010 end to the 20/8/2010.
Prior to the collection of data, the tool was examined to identify its validity and reliability.The investigators submitted the tool to panel of experts which consists of (7) experts in different fields of knowledge (Nursing, Medicine and Statistics).they agreed on the items of the tool.The data were analysis by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) This table shows that the highest of women there age were between(25-34) years, and the most of them housewives (82.26%), (35.48%) intermediate school graduate, (77.42%)of women have (5) children are more used the contraceptive methods than others ,(75.81%) of the subjects are married at (16) years or more, and the higher percentage of them used hormonal & mechanical (51.61%).This table shows that there is significant deference between women's knowledge and their educational levels.This table shows that there is no deference between women's knowledge and their job.This table shows that there is no deference between women's knowledge and their number of the children.This table shows that there is no deference between women's knowledge and their age at marriage.This table shows that there is no deference between women's knowledge and types of contraceptive used.

DISCUSSION
Too many mothers in the world are dying or suffering from the effects of illhealth, poor nutrition and inadequate health care.Each year more than half a million mothers die in childbirth and around (4) million babies do not survive past the first (4) weeks of life.A significant proportion of these deaths take place in the Eastern Mediterranean Region(EMR) of the World Health Organization.In fact, several centuries of the region, pregnancy and childbirth are one of the leading causes of death for women of reproductive age.The latest estimates show that in terms of the level of maternal mortality, EMR falls directly below the African Region.Every year in the region, approximately (35000) mothers die as a result of pregnancy-related complications.Many more become ill or are left disabled.Yet, the fate of these women is often not fully recognized. (7)his study indicated that the most of the study subjects were aged between (25-34 years) (41.93%), and the most of women's job were housewives (82.26%), and most of them were primary school graduate (35.48%), and about the half of women had less than five children (49.03%), and the most of women were married at age more than (16) years, and highest percentage of them used hormonal & mechanical (51.61%).Table (1)  Our study indicated that the women's knowledge regarding family planning generally were good, mean (1.66) and standard deviation (0.14).This study results shows that there are no significance difference between women's knowledge and their age at P value=0.05.table (3) The authors also found significant coloration between women's knowledge about family planning and their age group and the women at older age had better knowledge and behaviors than younger women. (12)other study in Iraq was found the use of traditional methods of contraceptives was significantly associated with age. (13)he finding of the present study indicated that there are significant difference between women's knowledge and their educational level at P value=0.05.Table(4) Similar relations were observed significant difference between women knowledge and educational level. (14)Previous study in Basra disagreement with our results. (13)ducated women are frequently conservative, think about side effects of modern contraceptives more seriously than those with lower education. (15)ur study found there are no significant difference between women's knowledge and their job at P value=0.05,Table (5) .In United Nation it was found that the employed mothers had a significantly higher score of knowledge about family planning (P<0.001). ( 16 similar finding was recorded by Fantahun et al, where he found that employed women had better knowledge about contraception. (17)his study found there are no significant difference between women's knowledge and their number of children at P value=0.05.Table (6) previous study in Nepal was found significant coloration between contraceptive use and number of children.(Nepal)Appropriate family planning is essential to the health of women and children by: Preventing pregnancies that are too early or too late, extending the period between births and limiting the number of children. (18)resent study found no significant difference between women's knowledge and their age at married at P value=0.05.table (7) this results agreement with previous study in Basra, Iraq.(Samira)Previous study indicated that the younger women who have been married at(less 20 years) may have a tendency to use contraception for child spacing as they are still in the phase of family formation and they are a good knowledge about contraception use. (9)his study indicated that there are no significance difference between women's knowledge and their types of contraceptive P value=0.05.Table (8) Previous study indicated that the women's knowledge regarding traditional methods of contraceptive (practiced the rhythm method, withdrawal) are good, and most women poor knowledge regarding modern methods (Pills, Injectables, IUDs Condom…ect). (11)

CONCLUSIONS:-
The researcher concluded that the women's knowledge regarding family planning generally were good, and there are no significance difference between women's knowledge and their demographic data except educational level.

RECOMMENDATIONS:-
 Attention to communication channels other than verbal exchange, such as publications and audiovisual material.As experienced in other countries, this can have a great impact in enhancing client knowledge, promoting contraceptive use, and dispelling fears and misconceptions. Further studies is needed in large sample and in different region to generalize the finding in this study.

Table ( 2) One-Sample t-test for women's knowledge about family planning.
This table shows that the women's knowledge about family planning generally is good.

Table ( 3) one-way analysis of variance for the difference between women's knowledge and their age.
This table indicated that there is no significant deference between women's knowledge and their age.Table (4) one-way analysis of variance for the difference between women's knowledge and their educational level.