Facilitators to Immediate Post Partum Intra Uterine Contraceptive Device Uptake among Mothers Delivering in Meru Hospital
Abstract
Family planning allows people to attain their desired number of children and
determine the spacing of pregnancies. It is important to promote uptake of
family planning services because it is one of the four pillars of the Safe Motherhood
Initiative
to
reduce
maternal
death
in
developing
countries.
It
is
also
enshrined
in
health
related
Sustainable
Development
Goals.
Post
Partum
Intra
Uterine
Contraceptive
Device
(PPIUCD)
is
the
oldest
methods
of
family
planning.
During
the
ancient
times,
foreign
bodies
like
stones
were
introduced
into
the
woman’s
uterus
for
prevention
of
pregnancy.
Post
partum
method
of
contraception
is
highly
recommended
because
it
is
long
acting,
convenient,
safe
and
highly
effective
with
minimal
side
effects
compared
to
the
hormonal
methods.
Despite
these
advantages,
the
method
is
the
lowest
in
use
globally,
regionally
and
locally.
According
to
the
Meru
Hospital
records
for
the
year
2017,
the
immediate
PPIUCD
uptake
was
very
low
at
3.4%.
The
broad
objective
of
this
study
was
to
assess
the
factors
that
facilitate
uptake
of
PPIUCD
at
Meru
Hospital.
The
study
site
was
post
natal
ward
maternity
department
of
Meru
Hospital
for
a period
of
two
months
that
is
September
and
October in the year 2018. A descriptive research design was used and the
study population was the mothers who were admitted in the ward during the
study period. A sample size of 74 respondents was used as the representative
to the target population of 289 mothers. Simple random sampling was used to
get the sample for the facilitators. Data were collected using structured questionnaires
and
interview
schedules.
The
data
collection
instruments
were
pretested
at
Embu
Level
five
Hospital
and
split
half
reliability
test
technique
used.
Validity
was
ensured
through
review
of
literature
from
similar
studies
and
by
consulting
supervisors
in
the
department.
Permission
to
conduct
the
study
was
sought
from
National
Commission
for
Science,
Technology
and
Innovation
through
Chuka
University
Ethics
and
Research
Committee.
De-scriptive analysis was done to get percentages using Statistical Package for
Social Science (SPSS) for windows version 23.0. Qualitative data were analyzed
by
grouping
data
into
themes
according
to
the
study
objectives.
The
analyzed
data
were
presented
in
tables,
charts
and
narratives.
The
findings
of
the
study
revealed
that;
the
main
client
related
facilitators
to
PPIUCD
uptake
were
older
age
above
30
years, employment, tertiary level of education and
knowledge on the method as a result of the providers’ effort to share information.
That
is
70%
of
older
aged
mothers,
60%
of
the
employed
and
40%
with
tertiary
education
had
the
insertion.
The
main
provider
facilitator
to
PPIUCD
uptake
was
timely
counseling
and
insertion
services.
20%
of
those
who
had
the
insertion
said
that
timely
counseling
was
done
during
antenatal
period.
The
main
method
related
facilitator
to
PPIUCD
uptake
was
past
experience
and
preference
to
alternative
methods
of
contraception.
50%
of
those
who
accepted
the
insertion
had
previous
bad
experience
and
side
effects
of
other
alternative
methods.
Some
30%
of
users
perceived
that
the
method
was
effective
and
convenient
because
once
inserted
no
need
for
frequent
visits
to
the
clinic. The study concluded that clients, providers and method factors facilitated
uptake
of
immediate
PPIUCD.
The
study
recommends
putting
in
place
strategies
to
improve
the
uptake
of
the
method
by
considering
the
client,
provider
and
method
related
facilitators.