abstract
This study assessed the knowledge and practice of family planning among nursing-mothers attending child-welfare clinic in Lagos university teaching hospital (LUTH), Lagos state. The family planning has called for world-wide attention as a result of its associated benefits and importance in family size decision making, control of population growth and regulation. The study objectives were; to assess the family planning knowledge among nursing mothers, to assess family planning practice, to determine factors influencing usage of new modern family planning methods among lactating mothers. The important of this study is to give standard nursing care and encourage family planning solution to lactating mothers who is facing challenges. The target group is nursing mothers attending child welfare clinic in LUTH. The adopted method for the study was correlation type of descriptive design and the total study population size for three (3) months comprised six hundred (600) nursing mothers, the sample size was determined using Taro Yamane’s formula and 240 nursing mothers were selected by convenient method. Questionnaire was developed using instrumentation called Knowledge and Practice of Family Planning among Nursing Mothers Questionnaire (KPFPANMQ) to gathered data which was analyzed descriptively and deferentially. The finding from the study showed that about 60% of Nursing Mothers have good Knowledge of family planning, exact 53% of Nursing Mothers were unable to practice family planning effectively. About 52% of the participants claimed that false beliefs, unwanted weight gain, myths, negative perceptions and sudden changes in mood were the most determining factor preventing women from utilizing new modern family planning in developing community. The study further showed that lack of appropriate sex education will result to abnormal sexual attitude and behavior. The study hypothesis stated that there is no significant different between the educational backgrounds and knowledge of family planning in the study area was rejected (T-Cal= 136.98, df = 239 & p<0.5). It was concluded that the practice of family planning among nursing mothers were very low despite the affordability, availability and accessibility of new modern family planning method. It was recommended that Nurses should promote effective utilization of family planning among nursing women during antenatal care and in the community.