Women's knowledge of and satisfaction with postpartum family planning in the Yako health district: effects of a new counseling tool

Abstract

Introduction: According to the literature, women have limited knowledge of contraceptive methods and often hold negative beliefs about contraception. This study aimed to assess the effects of this new counseling tool on women's knowledge and satisfaction and to measure the association between contraceptive use and variables relating to women's knowledge and satisfaction.
Methods: This experimental study with a post-intervention design and comparison group was conducted in the Yako health district between 2016 and 2019. We collected data on women's knowledge and satisfaction during family planning services use. We used negative binomial regression and binary logistic regression for multivariate analyses. Exposure to the counseling tool was the main independent variable.
Results: 503 women were included, 254 in the intervention group and 249 in the comparison group. There was a statistically significant difference in favor of the intervention group women for each of the five dependent variables (general knowledge of contraceptive methods, p=0.004), benefits of family planning for the mother p=0.044, for the child p<0.001, satisfaction with the quality of care received, p<0.001), satisfaction with family planning services, p<0.001). In addition, all the variables relating to women's knowledge and satisfaction significantly positively affected the use of postpartum family planning.
Conclusion: Negative beliefs about the use of contraception can be remedied if good counseling is offered to women. This counseling tool appears to be a credible alternative for African healthcare systems, characterized by a shortage of qualified staff, often with limited knowledge of the indications, contraindications, and side effects of contraceptive methods.