INFLUENCE OF FAMILY PLANNING RADIO PROGRAMME ON YOUNG COUPLES

INFLUENCE OF FAMILY PLANNING RADIO PROGRAMME ON YOUNG COUPLES

ABSTRACT

Radio is one of the means to get information across the length and breadth of the society because of its flexibility in presenting health matters, no wonder this research examines the influence of family planning radio programme on young couples in Osogbo metropolis to know if programmes on family planning actually tells on their re-procreation arrangement. Survey research method was adopted in this research coupled with 200 copies of questionnaires that were administered to the selected couples in Osogbo, the capital of Osun state, Southwest Nigeria in which 192 copies were returned for anlaysis. The result shows that mass media especially radio and television played crucial roles in creating, informing, educating and sensitizing couples on child spacing, family planning, maternal mortality, and infant mortality among others via special programmes that are designed and dedicated to achieve such goal. It was evident that (Ifeto-Somo bibi) Child-spacing or family planning reduces stress in the family, promote healthy children, promote healthy mother and safe cost of living in the family. Similarly, larger percentage of the couples use 2 years age gap between their children. It is recommended that waiting at least 2–3 years between pregnancies to reduce infant and child mortality, and also to benefit maternal health is a good practice.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Well-designed mass-media campaigns have proved their ability to increase the use of family planning in Nigeria. Between 1985 and 1988, television promotion of family planning in the cities of Ilorin, Ibadan, and Enugu helped increase the numbers of new and continuing contraceptive users (Piotrow et al., 1990). After the campaign, the number of new clients had almost quintupled in Ilorin, tripled in Ibadan, and more than doubled in Enugu. About half of respondents surveyed reported having seen the family planning messages on television; of these viewers, more than two-thirds recalled the specific clinics promoted. In Borno State, meanwhile, a mass-media campaign involving radio, television, print materials, and an advocacy forum with religious leaders showed similar results. The number of first-time users in sentinel clinics rose by 24 percent over pre-campaign levels, and the number of continuing users rose 37 percent (Kiragu and Omotara, 1992). Research in