Fertility Preferences Among Women of Reproductive Age Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic in Iloilo City
Creators: name: Lasat, Laceth Joyce
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: Uncategorized
subject: 111002 Clinical Nursing: Primary (Preventative)
subject: FOS: Health sciences

description: The COVID-19 Pandemic has changed a lot in this world, and this includes the fertility preferences of women. Fertility preferences differ for every woman's reproductive age. As we are facing a global pandemic now, we sought to know if the pandemic can affect a woman's decision for her fertility preferences. This study aimed to determine the fertility preferences of women of reproductive age amidst covid-19 pandemic. A descriptive relational study was done to determine the fertility preferences of women of reproductive age amidst COVID-19 pandemic in Iloilo City. We utilized the Slovin’s formula to obtain our sample size of 377 women ages 15-49 years old. A stratified sampling technique was used for the sampling design. SPSS 22 was used to analyze the data. A survey questionnaire was used for data collection. The women of reproductive age in Iloilo City were mostly ages 15-23 years old, mostly single, were high school graduate, unemployed, has a family income of Php 5001 and above, has 1-2 children, started living with partner at ages 15-23 years old, did not get pregnant nor gave birth during the COVID-19 Pandemic, were not using contraceptives, and has no desire to have children, mostly have a birth spacing of 1-2 years, for women who do not have children preferred a limit of 0 children, for women who have existing children, their ideal number is 3-4 children. Based on the results, the independent variables which are the maternal characteristics and dependent variables which are the fertility preferences are all significant. Therefore, the two variables affect each other. The women of reproductive age in Iloilo City were mostly ages 15-23 years old, mostly single, were high school graduate, housewives, has a family income of 5001-10000, has 1-2 children, started living with partner/spouse at ages 15-23 years old, did not get pregnant nor gave birth during the COVID-19 Pandemic, were not using contraceptives, and has no desire to have children, mostly have a birth spacing of 1-2 years, for women who do not have children preferred a limit of 0 children, for women who have children they preferred to have 3-4 children and answered no if they want to add more children. These are the results for the maternal characteristics in terms of age, civil status, educational attainment, family income, mother’s occupation, number of children, age at first cohabitation, gravidity, and parity, to the contraceptives used, has shown that there is a significant relationship which means that the maternal characteristics affects the contraceptives used. Therefore, women who are older, married, widowed and others, higher educational attainment, higher income, employed, more children, cohabitated with their partners at the age of 24-49 years old, were pregnant, and gave birth, the more likely they will use contraception. While women who are younger, single, had a lower educational attainment, low income, unemployed, more children, living with guardians or lived with their partners at the age of 15-23, did not get pregnant and did not give birth, will not likely use contraceptive methods. For the maternal characteristics in terms of age, civil status, educational attainment, family income, mother’s occupation, number of children, age at first cohabitation, gravidity, and parity, to the desire to have children, has shown that there is a significant relationship which means that the maternal characteristics affects the desire to have children. The younger the woman, they are most likely to want to have children and the older the woman, the more likely they are to be undecided. As for the civil status, a lot of single women had the desire to have children while those who are married, divorced and others had no desire or are undecided. For educational attainment, the more educated the woman, the less likely that they want to have children. For family income, women who had lower family income had a greater desire for children, compared to women who had higher family income who said no. For mother’s occupation, women who were housewives and others had the desire, while women who were either employed had no desire. For the number of children, women who had children were less likely to want another child. For the age at first cohabitation, women cohabitated with their partner/spouse at the age of 15-49 years old agreed to have children. For gravidity, women who did not get pregnant had no desire to add more children and would state that whatever the total number of her children is the ideal number of children for her. For parity, women who gave birth full-term parity during the COVID-19 pandemic had a high desire to have children. For the maternal characteristics in terms of age, civil status, educational attainment, family income, mother’s occupation, number of children, age at first cohabitation, gravidity, and parity, to the birth spacing, has shown that there is a significant relationship which means that the maternal characteristics affects the birth spacing. Women who are younger, single, low family income, housewives or unemployed, no children, living with guardians or N/A, low gravidity and parity prefer a lower birth spacing. Meanwhile, women who have a higher educational attainment, employed or self-employed, and cohabitated with their partners at the age of 15 to 49 years old, prefer a higher birth spacing. The lower the income of the woman, the shorter their birth spacing would be according to BMC 2020. For the maternal characteristics in terms of age, civil status, educational attainment, family income, mother’s occupation, number of children, age at first cohabitation, gravidity, and parity, to the limit in total number of children, has shown that there is a significant relationship which means that the maternal characteristics affects the limit in total number of children. Women who are younger, single, lower educational attainment, less family income, unemployed, a smaller number of children, living with guardian or cohabitated with their partner at a young age, low gravidity and parity preferred a lower limit of children. While women who are older, married, higher educational attainment, high family income, employed, had a higher number of children, lived with their partners at the age of 15 to 49, high parity and gravidity preferred a higher limit. For the maternal characteristics in terms of age, civil status, educational attainment, family income, mother’s occupation, number of children, age at first cohabitation, gravidity, and parity, to the ideal number of children, has shown that there is a significant relationship which means that the maternal characteristics affects the ideal number of children. Women who are younger, single, lower educational attainment, less family income, housewives or unemployed, lower number of children, living with their guardian, lower gravidity and parity preferred a lower ideal number of children. While those who are older, married, higher educational attainment, high family income, employed or self-employed, higher number of children, cohabitated with their partners, higher gravidity and parity preferred a higher ideal number of children. The following recommendations were made based on the findings and the conclusions arrived at for this study: It is recommended that future researchers explore other fertility preferences of women of reproductive age to further enhance the study and help the women who are in need of access to family planning. It is recommended that future researchers explore more about the gravidity and parity of women of reproductive age for more understanding of the study. It is recommended that future researchers perform this study in order to provide updates regarding the fertility preferences specifically contraceptive use. It is recommended for the barangay health centers only in barangays A, B, and C to intensify information dissemination and educational campaigns to women who are young, single, less educated, low income, less children, women who cohabitated with their partners, got pregnant, and given birth regarding responsible parenthood. It is recommended that the Department of Health should undertake widespread educational information regarding the benefits of utilizing the different ways of family planning such as contraceptives, IUD (intrauterine device), pills etc. and provide supplies for reproductive health. It is recommended that the barangay health centers only in barangays A, B, and C should be available and accessible especially to women of reproductive age that are low income. It is recommended that the LGU only in barangays A,B, and C will educate women who are younger, single, had a lower educational attainment, low income, unemployed, more children, living with guardians or lived with their partners at the age of 15-23, did not get pregnant and did not give birth full-term the benefits of contraceptive methods.