KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PRACTICE OF MODERN FAMILY PLANNING AMONG MARRIED MEN: A CASE STUDY OF UMUAHIA NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, ABIA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study evaluated the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of contemporary family planning among married men in Umuahia North Local Government Area, Abia State, Nigeria. A community-based cross-sectional descriptive research design was adopted, involving a sample of 308 married men aged 25 to 59 years, selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire and analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics at a 5% level of significance. The level of awareness of contemporary family planning methods was high (96.8%), with condoms (98.1%) and injectables (74.0%) being the most commonly known methods. However, awareness of vasectomy was relatively low (34.4%). Most respondents demonstrated positive attitudes, with 85.7% acknowledging the benefits of family planning for child spacing and 75.3% supporting the use of contraceptives by their spouses. Despite this, the level of practice was lower than that of knowledge and attitudes. About 59.1% reported that their partners were currently using a modern contraceptive method, while only 33.8% had accompanied their spouses to a family planning clinic. The findings reveal a persistent knowledge–practice gap, highlighting the need for targeted male-focused reproductive health interventions in Southeastern Nigeria. Active male involvement in family planning can be enhanced through improved spousal communication, the provision of male-friendly services, and the elimination of sociocultural myths surrounding contraceptive use.