KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND PRACTICE LEVEL OF FAMILY PLANNING SERVICE RECIPIENTS IN THE HEALTH DISTRICT OF PETALING, SELANGOR

Background: Family planning (FP) is important to ensure the wellbeing of mothers and children. There are various facilitators and barriers towards a successful FP program. In the health district of Petaling (PKD Petaling), the uptake of FP is not optimum. However, local data are scarce to pinpoint the reasons. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) level among the potential FP recipients and its associated factors. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study using self-administered questionnaires was conducted at six health clinics in PKD Petaling from May-July 2017. Descriptive analysis with chi-square and logistic regression analysis were conducted to identify associated factors. Result: Majority of the 360 respondents were Malays (75.3%) and married (91.9%). The overall KAP was 80.3%, 71.9%, and 46.7%. OCP and condom were the two most recognised FP methods whereas OCP and Depo Provera were the most commonly used. Education level was associated with a good knowledge and positive attitude towards FP. The predictors of current FP usage included older age, having 4 or more children, good knowledge and attitude about FP. Conclusion: An effective FP programme require the identification and understanding of the various factors associated with the KAP level of FP to formulate appropriate improvement strategies. Based on the results, fear of side effects and husband’s opposition were the most prominent reasons for not using contraception. Dissemination of accurate information, inclusion of husband in FP decision-making, continuous staff training to improve the counselling effectiveness are needed to improve the uptake of FP in PKD Petaling. Keywords: Family planning, contraception, KAP, Malaysia, service recipient