| dc.description.abstract | This study Has concerned with one of the factorswhich influence population growth in any area, thatis, family planning. Fomen in Kenya have always achieved adequate birth intervals by breastfeeding their infants for long periods and avoiding sexual intercourse during most of the time they were breastfeeding. The high levels of population growth currently experienced in Kenya are largely a phenomena of development.
Development has brought with it urbanisation and an urban population which tends to look down on traditional practices like prolonged breastfeeding and sexual abstinence but which may be slow in adopting the more drastic new inventions like modern contraceptives. The result is an increase infertility levels especially in poor urban populations.
In this study, it was hypothised that breastfeeding is declining in Kawangware and birth intervals
are becoming shorter, especially among younger women. If this is true, then the conclusion would be that
breastfeeding has left a gap which has not been filled by modern family planning.
It was found that the majority of young mothers In Kawangware, 15 - 19, 20 - 24, years old are breastfeeding
for short duration averaging 8.7 months but start using artificial feeds early. These women are losing the contraceptive benefit of breastfeeding but, as yet, are not replacing it with modern contraceptive
methods. The result has been very short birth interval s,averaging 20.4 months vrhi.ch result in very
high fertility. Also emerging from this study was the realisation that most women, 98.5°6, In this study, are not aware of the contraceptive effect of breastfeeding and only 2% of the worn eri currently breastfeeding
reported that they were doing so to avoid conception. Although 70.5% of the v~men said that family
planning is good, only 19.996 of the women at the risk of becoming pregnant reported that they were using
some form of contraception. Of the variables expected to influence breastfeeding and family planning, only education at the highest level, 8 or more years, and length of stay in Kawangware seemed to have a recognisable effect. Those with eight or more years of education breastfed least but used contraceptives most. Those with short stays in Kawangware breastfed least and used contraceptives least and these made up the majority of residents in Kawangware. This study also supports. E. Mosley's observation
that as breastfeeding declines in Kenya, marital fertility will go up by about 25%. The average live birth interval in Kawangware is 21.7% shorter than the national average reported by the Kenya Fertility Survey and total fertility resulting from the Kawarigware birth interval will be 28% higher than that of the national average unless the declines in breastfeeding are compensated for by contraceptive
use. From this study, it has been recommended that efforts to promote family planning be intensified.
It has also been recommended that breastfeeding should be promoted further-by the Family Planning
Association of Kenya as a means of contraception. For Kawangware, breastfeeding needs to be promoted
further because the population cannot support safe bottle feeding also. | en |
