Knowledge, Perception and Attitude of Married Men towards Radio Health Messages on Family Planning

Abstract

Radio has played a significant role in the spread of health information and continues to do so. Examples of the many campaigns that have benefited from radio include those against HIV and AIDS, immunisation campaigns, oral rehydration therapy, the fight against malaria, the Kick Polio Out campaign, the Wash Your Hand campaign during the August 2014 Ebola outbreak, the Family Planning Adoption Campaign as well as the campaign against the recent Covid-19 Pandemic. Hence, this study aims at finding out the knowledge, perception and attitude of married male employees in South-West, Nigeria, about family planning based on their exposure to Radio Health Messages on family planning. With three objectives and three research hypotheses, this study was anchored on Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). This study employed the cross-sectional survey research design with questionnaire as the instrument of data collection. Using Multi-stage sampling technique and Cochran formula of sample size calculation, six hundred and thirty-four (634) respondents were selected as the sample size across nine local government areas chosen in the south-western part of Nigeria. Findings shows that married men's perceptions and knowledge of family planning were significantly influenced by Family Planning Radio Health Messages, but not their attitudes towards the practice. Also, it was revealed that respondents were aware of family planning and its purposes, as well as some of the methods and how to apply them but they disagreed that family planning (FP) is beneficial for women who are still having children and that FP radio health messages are frequently directed towards men. As recommendation, Family Planning Radio Health Messages focus more on teaching the target audience on the various family planning methods available and ensure that Family Planning Radio Health Messages take a very descriptive approach, painting a mental picture and semblance of reality for simple understanding due to the visual disadvantage of radio. Also, Family Planning Radio Health Messages should be refocused to target men not just women alone since men have the headship position to make some decisions in many families in the south-western part of Nigeria.

Keywords: Family Planning, Knowledge, Perception, Attitude, Married Men, South-West.