Knowledge, Source of Knowledge, and Perceived Barriers of Family Planning Among Women Attending Reproductive Health Clinics in Suva, 2017

Introduction: The Global Total Fertility (GTF) rate is projected to decline to 2.4 children per woman by 2030 and 2.2 by 2050. The importance of family planning in promoting maternal and child health is undeniable. Due to lack of previous study, this study aims to identify the level of knowledge, source of knowledge, and perceived barriers of family planning among women of reproductive age in Suva, Fiji. Method: This is a quantitative, cross–sectional study which used a self-administered questionnaire among 325 participants who attended three designated health clinics around Suva, Fiji from 15 March to 28 April 2017. Participants who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria who consented to participate in the study were asked to fill a questionnaire survey. Once the data was collected, it was analyzed with SPSS. P value less than 0.05% was considered as the level of significance. Results: The mean age of the participants was 31.93±7.35. A majority of the participants were i Taukei women (65.2%) and 60.9% held a post-secondary school degree. Overall, participants had poor knowledge about the mechanism of action of contraceptives. 74.5% of the participants reported the side effects as the main reason for not using contraceptives. Most of the participants (82.2%) received their information about family planning from heath care providers. Conclusion: The importance of this study is evidence that it is one of a very few studies concerned with the state of knowledge about family planning in Fiji and as such the study provides a useful source of empirical information to policy makers to achieve the desired goals in family planning. These findings of the study will help health care providers promote family planning in Fiji.