Study of Family Planning Service Providers Knowledge about and Attitude toward Pregnancy Prevention Methods

These days family planning is considered a fundamental principle in human life. This study aimed to investigate family planning service providers knowledge about and attitude toward pregnancy prevention methods in shahrood in 2008. This research was a cross-sectional and applied one. In this study a questionnaire including 8 general items and 52 specialized ones was administered to service providers. The studied population (162 people) were all service providers working in health houses and urban and rural health centers in shahrood. The correlation between variables was calculated through Pearson correlation coefficient and the means of groups were compared through analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results have been show in the form of tables and diagrams. 152 people the majority of whom (73.7%) were women participated in the study. 74.3% of participants had high school diploma and below degrees. 7.9 % had associative and 2.6% had BS degrees in family health. 15.1% had BS degrees in midwifery. The Knowledge mean score was 17.9±2.7 out of 25 which indicates average knowledge of service providers. The attitude mean score was 71±10.3 out of 108 that indicates the positive attitude of family planning service providers. The results showed a significant relationship between knowledge and sex job level of education unit of service providing work experience and type of prevention used by the service providers (P=0.001). However there was no significant relationship between attitude and sex service unit and work experience. Noting the average knowledge and the positive attitudes of the family planning service providers and noting the unreliable prevention methods about one-third of them use providing all ranks of service providers with educational classes about family planning seems to be a considerable help for planning and promotion of mothers health plans.