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Mass Media Programs in Influencing the Family Planning Behaviour of Pregnant Women in Bangladesh

M. Amirul Islam
Department of Agricultural Statistics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

In this article an effort is made to judge the degree of influence of mass media on family planning activities among the currently pregnant women., using a nationally represented data collected under the direct supervision of Ministry of Planning. Government of Bangladesh. The mean age of the respondents was found to be 22.18 years. 43.7 percent were illiterate. 74.7 percent were from rural areas and 62.1 percent of the respondents ever used contraceptives. Mass media messages were. found to be weak to motivate the clients. Findings of the analysis suggest that there is a gap between knowledge and practice of the family planning messages disseminated through mass media. which came out to be the main limitation of mass media family planning campaign. Small family concept is still not that much established among pregnant women. Children of both the sex is still a common practice .. where preference for a boy is higher than a girl. On the other hand a confusing behaviour of the pregnant women has been observed that even if the two children family norm .. in particular two children of opposite sex have been fulfilled some of the women became pregnant again. Provision of incentives has been suggested along with further intensification of the on-going family planning campaign among some other recommendations.

Keywords: Mass media, family planning behavior, pregnant women

Location: Department of Agricultural Statistics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh

Start Date: 00-00-1991

End Date: 00-00-1991

Program Area: Knowledge Management

Non-commodity: Database Management

Objectives:

1. To determine the socio-economic and demographic characteristics of pregnant women, 2. To examine the influence of mass media family planning activities on decision making process on the number of children in a family, 3. To verify whether there is any sex preference among the respondents, 4. To identify the factors that are significantly influencing the attitude (approval) of the respondents towards family planning, and 5. To identify the factors that are significantly influencing the exposure to different mass media family planning programs.

Methodology:

Locale of the Study: Whole Bangladesh Population, Sample and Sampling Design: Data for the study were collected over a nationally representative sample of respondents selected in two stages. Sites containing 150-300 households within each stratum were sampled from the village/urban mohalla specific list of household counts of the 1991 census and with probability proportional to estimated size measured by the number of households. A total of 3100 currently married women under age 50 were selected for detailed interview. We separate tbe currently pregnant women (192) for detailed analysis. Methods of Data Collection: The data used in this study are secondary, which were collected by Mitra and Associates as a part of the research program of PDEU (Population Development and Evaluation Unit) of the IME (Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation) Division. Ministry of Planning. Statistical Analysis: Chi-square test and linear logistic regression analysis. Measurement of Variables: Author of this paper was not involved in this process. But, as it is a nationally representative data, collected under direct super-vision of Ministry of Planning, appropriate standard and units have been maintained.

Source of Information: Bangladesh Journal of Extension Education, Vol. 13 No. 1&2,2001: 43-49 ; ISSN 1011-3916

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Though our family planning program is a successful one and still gradually improving -there are some factors. which make obstacles towards the rapid achievement. Our family planning campaign is very effective to inform about the message but very poor to motivate the clients to adopt family planning in their conjugal life. Analysis for the pregnant women reflects such truth. We can not assume that a woman having reasonable number of children using family planning currently will never be pregnant. This is the real limitation of our family planning campaign. Design of mass media messages may seem to be attractive but not that much effective for actual motivation. Concept of two children is still not established in the minds of the parents honestly. Adjusting broadcasting time and enriching the contents. family planning media campaign may earn more effective results. In the prevailing situation it will be tough to achieve NRR=1 by the year 2005. Government should set some provision to give incentives to small families and discourage the big families imposing some financial or other penalties. The practice may be started for Government employees first, rearranging the promotion and increment rule, or at least for family planning personnel to ensure the family planning practice among them. This will encourage the general people to adopt family planning in their lives. Policies should be taken considering all types of indices prevailing in the country and should be based on time to time evaluation of the current situation. With all these efforts Bangladesh's family planning program wi!1 be able to reach its goal within the target time.

Knowledge Management: Journal