Prevalence and factors influencing the unmet need for family planning among married women in the rural Mandya, Karnataka

Abstract

Background: Population stabilization leads to sustainable development and is achieved by family planning methods. Family planning is better accomplished by proper family welfare measures. These aspects are well encompassed with concept of unmet need for family planning. Identifying women with unmet need is essential, as they are more likely to accept a family planning methods. Objectives: 1. To estimate the prevalence of unmet need for family planning (UNFP) in the rural Mandya. 2. To determine influencing factors. Methodology: This cross sectional descriptive study was conducted among married women aged 15-49 years, from randomly obtained villages in the Rural Health Training Centre of Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS), Mandya. House to house survey was conducted in each village and 2472 subjects were interviewed using pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire. Results: Prevalence of unmet need for family planning was 11.6%; 7.4 % for spacing and 4.2% for limiting. Factors like increase in age, lower educational status, working women, lower socio-economic-status, nuclear families, increase in duration of marriage and number of living children were associated with unmet need for family planning.