Effect of Antenatal Family Planning Counselling on Social Normative Beliefs Towards Early Postpartum Family Planning

Abstract

Introduction: Different countries and settings exhibit diverse trends in social normative beliefs towards early postpartum family planning (PPFP) with disparities based on cultural, socioeconomic, and age-related factors. There has been a paucity of studies addressing the influence of antenatal family planning (FP) counselling on these social normative beliefs, particularly in Kenya. This study analysed the impact of antenatal FP counselling on perceived social normative beliefs regarding early PPFP among postpartum women in Kisumu County.
Methods: This was an interventional study conducted in Kisumu County among 246 pregnant women in their second and third trimesters. Nurses’, community, and control study arms were established with a single 20-minute session of antenatal counselling on PPFP as the intervention. A postpartum assessment of social normative beliefs towards early PPFP uptake was done. Perceived normative beliefs on PPFP was measured using 7-point Likert scale questions and analysed through ordinal logistic regression and ANOVA at the P<.05 threshold.
Results: Perceived social normative beliefs towards early PPFP were highly positive (75.2%), mean 5.3. Employment (OR 1.5; P=.024) and positive intimate partner relationship (OR 2.1, P<.0001) increased positive perceived social normative beliefs towards early PPFP while being married (OR 0.7; P=.038) decreased it. The nurses’ arm (P=.047) exhibited more positive perceived social normative beliefs than the community and control arms.
Conclusions: There were high positive perceived normative beliefs on early PPFP, particularly in the nurses’ arm, thus recommending nurse-led antenatal counselling.