A family planning study in Kuala Pilah, Peninsular Malaysia

Realising that family planning is not making a sufficient impact on the rural people as it is on the urban people, it was decided that it would be interesting to study the knowledge and attitude of a rural community towards family planning, The study sample consisted of 200 Malay married women - 100 acceptors and 100 non-acceptors from the Kuala Pilah District, The study commenced on 4 December 1978 and ended on 22 December 1978. A healthy climate of knowledge and attitude exists among rural Malay women. Only 2 percent nonacceptors had not heard of any method of family planning, and 99 percent acceptors, and 85 percent non-acceptors discussed family planning with their husbands. There was also enough evidence to show that birth rate does decrease as literacy rate increases. On the other hand, however, only 19 percent respondents approved of family planning practice before the first child. Also there is a dearth of information on family planning in the rural areas and not much was being done in utilising the two popular forms of mass-media - the radio and the television as a means of disseminating information on family planning. The study concludes with a recommendation that there is a need for sustained effort at improving knowledge and disseminating information, and nursing and nurturing the right attitudes towards family planning, It suggests that community leaders, women's clubs and private organisations be mobilised to participate more
fully in promoting family planning,