Comparative analysis of family planning services in urban and rural health facilities in Nigeria

Aim: This study aimed to compare family planning (FP) services in urban and rural health facilities in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: The study is a cross-sectional study conducted in 204 rural and 198 urban health facilities comprising 182 primary and 216 secondary facilities in Nigeria. A FP client was randomly selected from each of the facilities, and structure questionnaires were used to collect information from them. Data collected include the various types of contraception available, waiting time, and satisfaction with services. Data were analyzed with IBM-SPSS Statistics Version 25.0. Results: The most requested contraceptives methods were injectables (48.2%) and oral contraceptives (22.6%). Most clients in both the rural (76.0%) and urban (76.3%) waited <30 min to see health providers. However, 20.1% of clients in urban health facilities waited for 30–60 min compared to 15.2% in rural areas (P < 0.05). The overall quality of service was 90.0% in rural and 92.9% in urban areas (P < 0.05). Over 90% of both rural and urban clients were satisfied with how providers received them, cleanliness of the facilities, and time spent with care providers but less than half (<50%) were satisfied with the services they received. Significantly higher quality of services was reported by clients in the northern parts of Nigeria (6.74/7) (P < 0.001), whereas client's satisfaction was slightly higher in the South (6.56/7) (P > 0.05). Conclusion: There is a need for an improvement in waiting time and quality of services offered in health facilities. Policymakers should to carry out regular supervision of health facilities and ensure availability of contraceptives in the health facilities at affordable prices in order to improve FP uptake in Nigeria.