Demograpidc, socio-economic and cultural factors which influence implementation of family planning programme in Kenya: a study of the City of Nairobi and Kericho District
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Date
2002
Authors
Githinji, Sophia Wanjiku
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
Kenya has since 1967, been having one of the most well funded Family Planning Programmes
in sub-Saharan Africa. Ninety seven percent (97%) of married women know of family
planning methods but only 39% of them are using a method (Kenya Demographic and Health
Survey, 1998). The large existing gap between knowledge and use is a clear indication that
there are, some unknown forces that influence decisions on fertility and use of family planning
services in Kenya.
The major research hypothesis of this study is that the socio-economic and cultural factors that
influence fertility are little known and therefore ignored in the design and implementation of
the family planning programmes. This study examines the socio-economic and cultural factors
that influence fertility and family planning in five ethnic groups in the city of Nairobi and
Kericho District of Kenya. These groups are the Luo, Luhya, Kisii, Kalenjin and Kikuyu.
These groups were selected to capture people from different cultural backgrounds. The city
of Nairobi was chosen to represent the urban areas and Kericho District to represent the rural
areas. The study also evaluates the Family Planning Programme of Kenya with a view to
determining the extent to which it takes into consideration the socio-economic and cultural
factors.
Primary data were collected through the administration of a questionnaire designed to
investigate the socio-economic and cultural factors that have a bearing on fertility. The
questionnaire was administered to some two hundred women of childbearing age selected
from the five ethnic groups in Nairobi and Kericho. Secondary data from demographic and
health surveys, census reports and population research journals were reviewed and used to
evaluate the Family Planning Programme of Kenya.
Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and stepwise regression analysis were applied to
determine the factors, which had a greater explanatory power on fertility. The analysis
showed that the influence of socio-economic and cultural factors on fertility was greater in
Nairobi than in Kericho District. Age at first marriage, age at first birth and level of education
were found to be considerably higher in Nairobi and consequently, their influence on fertility was stronger in the region. Forty six percent of women interviewed in Kericho District got
married in the 15 to 19 year age group, compared to only 15 % in Nairobi.
Fifty two percent of women interviewed in Nairobi had completed secondary education
compared to 24 % in Kericho District. Forty five percent of women in Kericho District relied
on their children to do house work. In Nairobi, forty one percent of the women had their
children study after schoo1. These women valued the quality of education for their children
and had smaller families in order to provide them with the desired education. Women in
Kericho District, on the other hand, valued the work done by children and so they had larger
families.
Duration of breast-feeding, preference of male children and attitude towards methods of family
planning were some of the cultural factors found to influence fertility in both Nairobi and
Kericho District. Fifty two percent of women in Kericho breast-fed their children for more
than eighteen months. Only thirty nine percent of women in Nairobi breast-fed for more than
twelve months. Employment is a factor contributing to the short breast-feeding duration
among the urban women. In all the five ethnic groups investigated, women who did not have
male children were looked down upon.
In Nairobi, fifty six percent of the women interviewed reported having experienced side effects
as a result of using the modem methods of family planning. In Kericho, the proportion was
seventy percent. Forty four percent of urban and thirty nine percent of rural women
considered traditional methods still effective. The Family Planning Programme of Kenya was
found to be supply oriented rather than demand driven. Contraceptives are provided for free
in the public sector and at subsidized rates in the private sector. The programme has not taken
into consideration the socio-economic and cultural factors that connect the well being of
people to fertility limitation. The study recommends the review of the Family Planning
Programme to accommodate these issues and help people to achieve their childbearing expectations.
Description
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of Arts (M.A in Population
Geography) Kenyatta University. 2002