ABSTRACT
The research examined Influence of Child-Spacing Campaigns on the
Knowledge, Attitude and Practices among Rural Women with a case study of Ugbawka Community, Enugu State. In carrying
out this research, the researchers adopted survey method coupled with
questionnaires administered to the selected respondents in Ugbawka community
area of the Enugu state. Findings have shown that mass media played a crucial
role in creating awareness and knowledge on the concept of birth-spacing or
child-spacing through its various programme on family planning, contraceptive
usage and many more. The background to the study, objectives of the study,
research questions, scope of the study, significance of the study, limitations
to the study and some terminologies of the basic words were reviews in the
introductory chapter, while scholarly writing papers, journals and books in the
area of child-spacing, birth-spacing, family planning, benefits of
birth-spacing, challenges of birth-spacing were reviewed carefully. Also,
survey research methodology was adopted and 100 copies of questionnaires were
printed and distributed to100 respondents selected within Ugbakwa community of
Enugu state of which 90 copies of questionnaires were returned. Similarly,
responses from respondents were analyzed and interpreted. It is deduced that
child-spacing will reduce stress in the family, promote healthy children,
promotes healthy mother and safe cost of living in the family. Also, majority
of the family use 2 years age gap between their children. Furthermore, the
major challenge facing women in Ugbakwa community on the effective use of
child-spacing techniques is poverty, social class, religion influence, high
level of illiteracy, superstition and inadequate information on the benefits of
child-spacing or birth spacing, while it is also established that the attitude
of families in Ugbawka community towards child-spacing is partially positive.
It is recommended that waiting at
least 2–3 years between pregnancies to reduce infant and child mortality, and
also to benefit maternal health.
