Abstract:
This study was designed to obtain information on the childbearing decisions of women in Aniocha-North L.G.A of Delta State. The specific objectives of the study was to: (i) identify the pattern of childbearing among women in Aniocha –North Local Government Area, Delta State, (ii) identify the extent of women’s participation in child-bearing decisions in Aniocha –North Local Government Area, Delta state and (iii) determine the factors that influence women’s childbearing decisions in Aniocha –North Local Government Area, Delta State. The descriptive survey research design was used for the study. Using power analysis, a sample of 387 participants was enlisted in the study. The Questionnaire was the only tool used for data collection. The data were analyzed using IBM/ SPSS version 20.Major findings revealed that: A good number of the respondents have low literacy level in the communities hence about 137(35.4%) had no formal education while 98(25.3%) had primary education with 236(61%) having farm work or petty trade as their major economic activities. The mean value of the number of living children is 4.68. Age at first birth showed that on the average the women make their sexual debut at 16 years old. The mean values for these statements When to become pregnant, Number of children, when to have sexual intercourse and child spacing period were 2.93, 2.93, 2.93 and 2.96 respectively while the mean value of where to receive ANC and where to deliver which read 3.15 and 3.14 respectively. Majority of the women are not involved in decision of when and how to use family planning hence the mean value is 1.84.Apart from the cultural factors that have some impact on the women’s childbearing decisions, socio-economic, biological and religious factors have little or no influence on Aniocha-North’s women’s childbearing decisions. Therefore midwives have a role to play by health educating women on the need for their involvement in decision making with regards to their fertility and also the need for family planning as an effective way to reduce their family size, unsafe abortion, maternal mortality and achieve their MDG 4 & 5 target.
