(Canadian Center of Science and Education (CCSE), 2015) Kieru, Jane N.; Ngige, Lucy W.; Ondigi, Alice N.
The purpose of this study was to investigate maternal factors associated with reproductive behavior of low
income mothers in Kiandutu slum in Thika Municipality, Kenya. The family resource management model and
the safe motherhood theoretical framework guided the study. A survey of 120 randomly selected mothers was
conducted using simple random sampling. Data was collected using both qualitative and quantitative methods.
Results showed that the level of education (p=0.000), occupation (p=0.037), income levels (p=0.040), religious
affiliation (p=0.007) and attitude towards contraception (p=0.000) had significant relationship with mothers’
reproductive behavior. However, age, marital status, ethnicity contraceptive knowledge and use were not
significantly related to reproductive behavior. Implications for fertility, family size, family planning, and
involvement of males in reproductive health are included in the discussion. The study recommends that
reproductive and sexual health education be made available to women and girls of childbearing age. This will
help to empower them to take control of their own fertility