The factor affecting contraceptives prevalence level in Morogoro urban district

This study is on factors that influence contraceptive prevalence level in Morogoro urban district. It has been undertaken in order to assess the level of contraceptive prevalence not only in Morogoro urban district, but also to give a rough estimate of contraceptive prevalence in Tanzania. It should be emphasised that the findings of this study reflect an urban situation in Tanzania, which cannot be the same for a rural environment. So far no study of this nature has been conducted in Tanzania. Therefore, this is a first attempt to carry out such a study. However, studies related to this have been conducted by a few individuals in Tanzania, and these are summarised in the literature review chapter. The study on factors influencing contraceptive prevalence in Morogoro urban district is presented in five chapters. Chapter I, presents the background to the problem. The problem is based on the contention that contraceptive prevalence in Tanzania is very low indeed, and that the level of awareness about family planning is also low. For example, according to my discussion with the Family Planning Association of Tanzania (UMATI) officials only about 5 per cent of married women of reproductive age in Tanzania use modern contraceptives. Ignorance, conservatism and poverty are among the factors contributing to poor family planning acceptance rate in Tanzania. Chapter lI, deals with literature review. In this chapter an attempt is made to review the appropriate literature related to the study undertaken. Section one of this chapter presents a framework for analysing fertility pioneered by Davis and Blake (1956:211-35) and later refined by Bongaarts (1978:105-32). According to this framework contraception is a proximate determinant of fertility falling under deliberate marital fertility control factors. Section two gives a review of Knowledge Attitude and Practice (KAP) Surveys conducted in 12 countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America between 1963 and 1973. We note here that KAP studies covered only two countries in Africa and Tanzania was not one of the countries covered. However, KAP studies identify demographic differentials, socio-economic characteristics e.g. education and the woman's employment status, as among the factors that influence contraceptive prevalence. Section three gives a summary of perceptions of family planning among rural Kenyan women. We note here that urban women are more likely to know and use family planning than rural women. The fact that urban women are better educated may help to explain the rural/urban difference in knowledge and use of family planning. Section four underscores the fact that norms, values and perspectives about childbearing must be altered before contraceptive use becomes a common practice in developing countries. In other words, contraceptive information and family planning approaches should be suited to dominant cultural patterns and needs. Section five concludes the chapter by giving the intended contribution of this study to knowledge and practice. Chapter III, deals with methodology used in this study. this chapter a thorough description of the study area in terms of its geographical location, ecology and population is given. Other aspects which are included here are the research design, sample selection, data collection and all the problems encountered during the actual field work. All hypotheses to be verified by this study are also stated here. It is hypothesised that:-

1. More educated couples will tend to use contraception more than less educated couples:
2. Age determines use or non-use of contraception. The younger the wife the more the tendency towards contraception. In other words, young wives will tend to use contraception more than older ones.
3. It is more likely that employed women will tend to use contraception more than non- employed women.
4. Use of contraception is likely to increase with the number of living children. The fewer children a couple has the less use of contraception. In other words, the more the number of living children in a couple, the higher the tendency towards contraception.
5. The need to have male children will prevent a couple from using contraception, especially where previous births give female children.
6. Couples that experience fewer child deaths are more likely to use contraception than couples that experience high child deaths. Chapter IV deals with the findings and discussion of the research. A total of 534 married women of reproductive age were interviewed at random from the four Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Clinics in Morogoro urban district. Out of these 534 women, 73 women or 13.7 per cent had no education, 51 women or 9.6 per cent had adult education, 350 women or 65.5 per cent had primary education, and 60 women or 11.2 per cent had secondary education and above. Furthermore, the age distribution of the 534 women was as follows:

15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44

60 158 165 88 51 12

From these sample of 534 women, 188 or 35.2 per cent were currently using contraception. This means that contraceptive prevalence in Morogoro urban district is 35.2. The findings show that contraceptive prevalence is influenced by the level of education of wife and husband, age of wife, wife's employment status, the number of living children, the number of living sons and the experience of a child death. For example among the 188 women currently using contraception, 165 women or 87.8 percent have at least primary education. Similarly, among the 188 women currently using contraception, 164 women or 87.2 per cent were in the age-group 20-34. The findings of the research conform with all the six hypotheses stated above. Chapter V, completes the study with a summary of findings, policy implications and recommendations, and recommendation for further study.