Tizta Tilahun Degfie|Gily Coene|Marleen Temmerman|Olivier Degomme
Couple based family planning education: changes in male involvement and contraceptive use among married couples in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia
Jimma University|Ghent University Hospital|Ghent University Hospital
family planning contributes substantially achieving millennium development goals recently male involvement gained considerable attention family planning programs implementation thereof remains challenge context study aimed measuring effect sixmonthlong family planning education program male involvement family planning well couples contraceptive practicewe conducted quasiexperimental research among 811 married couples jimma zone southwest ethiopia study consisted intervention control group comparative purpose surveyed implementation intervention intervention consisted family planning education given men women household level intervention arm addition monthly community gatherings intervention period households control group subject particular activities access routine health care serviceswe obtained followup data 760 786 967 couples originally enrolled survey findings compared within groups intervention surveys baseline contraceptive use control intervention households similar intervention observed among men intervention arm significantly higher level willingness actively involved family planning compared men control arm p 0001 addition difference spouses discussed family planning issues less reported within control group case men women p 0031 p 0001 respectively general significant positive difference male involvement observed concerning contraceptive use change observed among intervention group using contraception baselinethis study showed family planning educational intervention includes spouses promotes spousal communication might useful foster contraceptive practice among couples results also offer practical information benefits male involvement family planning best means increase contraceptive use thus providing opportunities reinforce family planning education may strengthen existing family planning service delivery system