ABSTRACT
The study attempted to investigate
the influence of adult education on family planing in Ikeja Local Government
Area of Lagos State. The study also reviewed relevant and extensive literatures
under sub-headings.
The descriptive research survey
design was employed in this study in order to assess the opinions of the
respondents with the application of questionnaire and the sampling technique.
A total of 160 (one hundred and
sixty) respondents were selected as samples representing the entire population
of the study.
Four null hypotheses were
formulated and tested in this study using the Pearson Product Moment
Correlation and the independent t-test statistical tools at 0.05 level of
significance.
At the end of the analyses, the
following results were obtained:
1.
Hypothesis one revealed that adult educational
programmes will significantly influence family planning among couples.
2.
Hypothesis two found that the socio-economic status of
couples will have significant effect on their level of family planning.
3.
Hypothesis three result shows that religious belief of
couples will significantly have relationship with their level of family
planning.
4.
Hypothesis four show that there is a significant
difference between the attitude of the educated couples towards family planning
and those who are illiterates.
All the null hypothesis were
rejected. This shows that adult educational programmes has significance
influence on the level of family planning among couples in Ikeja Local
Government Area of Lagos State.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgment iv
Abstract v
Table of content vi
CHAPTER
ONE 1
1.1
Introduction/Background to the Study 1
1.2
Historical Background of Family Planning 3
1.3
Statement of the Problem 6
1.4
Purpose of the Study 7
1.5
Research Questions 8
1.6
Research Hypotheses 8
1.7
Significance of the Study 9
1.8
Scope of the Study 10
1.9
Definition of Terms 10
CHAPTER
TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 12
2.0 Introduction 12
2.1
Concept and Nature of Adult Education 13
2.2
Concept and Nature of Family Planning 14
2.3
Origin and Evolution of Family Planning 17
2.4
Methods and Effectiveness of Family Planning 23
2.5
Causes of Increase in Population Growth and Rise in
Fertility Rates 26
2.6
Family Planning Activities Among Couples 28
CHAPTER
THREE: Research Methodology 32
3.0 Introduction
32
3.1 Research
Design 32
3.2 Population
of the Study 32
3.3 Sample
and sampling Technique 33
3.4 Research
Instrument 34
3.5 Procedure
for Data Collection 34
3.6 Procedure
for Data Analysis 35
CHAPTER
FOUR: Data Analysis and Interpretation of
Results 36
4.1
Introduction 36
4.2
Descriptive Analyses of Bio-Data of Respondents 36
4.3
Data Presentation of Questionnaire Responses 39
4.4
Hypotheses Testing 45
1.1
Summary of the Findings 49
CHAPTER FIVE: Summary,
Conclusions, and Recommendations 50
5.1
Introduction 50
5.2
Summary of the Study 50
5.3
Conclusions 51
5.4
Recommendations 52
5.5
Suggestions for Further Studies 54
References 55
Appendix 60
CHAPTER ONE
1.1
Introduction/Background
to the Study
Adult education has
been given varying definitions by many scholars and organisations.
UNESCO (1976) defined adult education
as denoting “the entire body and organised educational process, whatever the
content the level of method whether formal or otherwise, whether prolong or
replace initial education in schools, colleges and universities as well as
apprenticeship, whereby persons regarded as adult by the society to which they
belong develop their abilities, which their knowledge, improve their technical
and professional qualifications and bring about changes in their attitudes or
behaviour in the two fold perspective of full personal development,
participation, balanced and independent social, economic and cultural
development.
“Adult Education is a process whereby
persons who no longer attend school on a regular and full time basis (unless
full home programmes are especially designed for adult) undertake sequential
and organised activities with conscious intention of bringing about change in
information, knowledge, undertakings of skills, appreciation and attitudes or
for the purpose of identifying and serving personal or community problem”.
According to Onuoha (1990),
programes that are adult education based are agricultural and farmers training
programme, adult literacy programmes, occupational skill training, youth clubs,
various community development programmes, programmes of instruction in health,
nutrition, family planning co-operatives etc. These programmes, Onuhoa went
further, are for the creation of awareness, passage of necessary information
and the enhancement of individual development, growth and social well beings.
People have consciously or
unconsciously engaged themselves in family planning throughout history.
Abstinence either life long or temporary and prohibitions, forbidden
intercourse during certain festivals, effectively curtail the fertility rate
(the number of life birth for each woman during her life time) (Barns 1990).
Also separation of husbands from their wives for long period of time either
because of war or employment, curtail the birth rate and fertility.
According to Nnadi (1994) abortion has
been used to limit family size and descriptions can be found in the herbal and
other folklores of women and midwives of most societies. The deliberate
abandonment of infants and young children even killing of new borns has not
been uncommon in the past or even in some areas of the world today (Hooday,
1993).
Adult education programes especially on
health matters like family planning is an important programme that is intended
to touch the lives of the people, especially couples and other sexually active
youths in the society. Family planning, using adult education programme enables
the adults who are still sexually active to know when to engage in sexual acts,
what system to use and the best method of contraceptives to apply in curtailing
fertility or birth rate. Therefore, adults more especially couples who engage
themselves in adult education programmes would in any case avail themselves of
the opportunity of curtailing their family size, avoiding abortion and being
able to space their child birth rate (Anyanwu, 1994).
1.2
Historical
Background of Family Planning
The technique of family planning, over
the centuries have simply been modified, Himes (1936) notes tat the earlier
premature people used some magical nature powers to help women control
pregnancies and to regulate birth.
The Greeks employed crocodile drugs as
diaphragm olive and cedar oil were use as jelly. Under Emperor Augustus, the
Romans employed the laws to stimulate population growth.
In Britain, especially, as time
passed, several interpretations came to be attached to the notion of family
planning. There were several arrests, detentions and imprisonment of people who
dared practice of talk of family planning.
Amongst the martyrs include Kuwoeiton,
Bradlaugh who were imprisoned for publishing the “Fruits of Philosophy” (an
influential tract on birth control) and “preventive sexual intercourse”
respectively (Brackett, 1962).
The great depressing (1873 – 1876)
however led to a change in mind concerning family planning both as a practice
and social philosophy. Women had become emancipated and were therefore
unwilling to bear the burden of unrestricted family sizes. There was a
silencing of the English law following such publications as:
a.
The law of population by Annie Besant (1879)
b.
The wife’s handbook by Henry Allbult (1887)
c.
The Hygienic method of family limitation by the Malthusian
League (1913)
These titles were used to attack the
attitude of the government and politicians on matters of family planning or
birth regulation in the British Empire.
In London, by 1921 following the
activities of Mrs. Stopes the first family planning was opened. The British
Ministry of health granted labour women resolution to permit local authorities
to provide family planning and birth control information and service to those
who need them in 1930. In 1966, the British National Health Service accepted a
recommendation of the Royal Commission on population that all forms of
restriction against contraceptive advice to married women be removed to
encourage voluntary parenthood.
In the United States of America, at
first there were similar political repressive approach to matters of either
birth control or contraception.
This was more during the period of
president Reynold and Roosevelt hence contraceptive and contraceptive
information was banned.
With the end of the First World War in
1918, signs of change stated to emerge especially during a presidential address
by Jacob.
The first birth control clinic was
established by Margent Sanger in Brooklyn in 1916.
Then followed the federal council of
the church of Christ publication in 1925 of a report on the status of women.
The American Medical Association for the first time accepted family planning as
part of medical proactive and education in 1937. Then following in 1942, the
formation of the planned parenthood federation of U.S.A. (United State of
American).
The U.S. supreme court sitting in
Connecticut in 1965 struck on the penalty that has been imposed by a statute
out the use of contraceptives. There appeared another presidential request by
Johnson and Nixon for a congressional support/approval for birth control and
family planning activities within the United State (U.S. Times of 19th
July, 1969).
In Nigeria, the nation of family
planning started as a voluntary organisation (through internationally supported
with the establishment of clinics in Lagos, Kaduna, and Enugu in 1964 under the
umbrella of the Family Planning Council of Nigeria. By 1981, the activities has
spread to all states of the Federation including the local government under
review.
Following a government recognition,
there was a change in the name to the Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria
(P.P.F.N).
1.3
Statement of the
Problem
Adult education is an important
programme that enables adults learners and even young persons to be enlightened
about issues in focus. Couples and others who do not expose themselves to adult
education programmes especially on family planning, would have the problem of
remaining in absolute ignorance and unawareness of the systems inherent in the
control of birth rate. Many families who attend certain religious seeks do not
avail themselves the opportunity of using contraceptives in order to stop the
birth of children, rather they believe that they should not stop God’s creation
of children. This enormous belief has created a lot of problems in the society
today because people who are not exposed to adult education programme, who are
not literate and attend one religion or the other go about having unspaced
pregnancies and unguarded child births which has increased the population
excessively and thereby causing inflation in the society.
A meaningful family planning scheme can
only be possible where couples and individuals are willing to adopt to change
in modern family planning practices.
1.4
Purpose of the
Study
The major purpose of the study is to
investigate the influence of adult education on family planning, a case study
of Ikeja Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Other specific objectives include to:
(1)
Find out whether there is significant influence of adult
education on family planning.
(2)
Determine whether those who exposed themselves to adult
education programme on family planning have the problem of abortion or not.
(3)
Examine the difference between the family planning system of
those who are exposed to adult education and those who do not.
(4)
Identify the types of contraceptives for family planning.
(5)
Find out the effectiveness or failure of some contraceptives
as methods of family planning.
1.5
Research Questions
The following research questions will
be raised in this study:
1.
Will there be any influence of adult education on family
planning among couples?
2.
How can we determine the difference between the family
planning of those exposed to adult education and those who are not?
3.
How can we identify the types of family planning and
contraceptives?
4.
What are the effectiveness or failure of some contraceptives
as methods of family planning?
5.
How can the problems of family planning be solved?
1.6
Research Hypotheses
The following hypotheses will be
formulated in this study:
1.
Adult educational programme will not significantly influence
family planning among couples.
2.
The socio-economic status of couples will not have any
significant effect on their level of family planning.
3.
Religious belief of couples will not have any significant
relationship with their level of family planning.
4.
There will be no significant difference between the attitude
of the educated couples towards family planning and those who are illiterates.
1.7
Significance of the
Study
The study will be beneficial to the
following:
2.
Teachers: The findings and
recommendations of study will go a long way in helping the school teachers to
have better understanding on the use of contraceptives and other effective
systems or methods of family planning. With the study, teachers would be able
to have greater insights into the best way to control child birth and the
population. With the study, teachers themselves, would appreciate the impact of
family planning on population control in Nigeria and the world in general.
3.
Students: With the results
of this study, students would be able to have fair knowledge of family planning
using adult educational programme as a medium of information. Students who are
already married would find this study very vital, as it help them to be exposed
to various methods and systems of family planning and the control of child
birth in their families.
4.
The Society: The society and
up-coming researchers would find this work very necessary, as it will be a
veritable tool towards the knowledge and embarking upon family planning. Also
it will serve as reference materials to the public and new researchers who
would want to carry out further researches on this topic or related ones.
5.
The counsellors: Counsellor will
also find this study very beneficial because it will help them to help those
who have problems as a result of birth control. With the findings and
recommendations of this study, the counsellors, though not medical personnel
would be able to identify some conceptives and the kind of work they perform in
human life as measures of controlling birth rate.
1.8
Scope of the Study
The study will be limited to the
influence of adult educational programme on family planning among couples in
Ikeja Local Government Area of Lagos State.
1.9
Definition of Terms
The following terms were defined in
this study:
Family
Planning:
According to Howday (1933) family planing is a method or process in which there
stoppage in infertility and reproduction of children through natural or
scientific method called the contraceptive. Family planning also implies the
organisation management and functioning of this basic unit in a form that will
create harmony. Hogart (1978) sees family planning as a way of thinking and
living that is voluntarily adopted by the individual or couple on the basis of
knowledge, attitude and responsible decision to promote the health and welfare
of the family in attaining a maximum enjoyment of age.
Contraceptives:
According
to Bamia, (1990) it is an oral or scientific method in which reproduction is
prevented.
Contraceptive
Failure:
This describes the occurrence of an involuntary or accidental pregnancy while
contraceptive is being used.
Family
Planning Programme Influence/Impact: This shows the amount of change in
fertility that can be attributed to the policies, measures and other activities,
purposely undertaken to reach a specific fertility level. It is measured by
finding the difference between fertility level in a given year and the level
that would have prevailed in the same period without family planning.
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