Introduction and Aim: Adequate birth spacing has proved to be an important factor in reducing both Maternal and Childhood mortality and morbidity. According to NFHS 4 data currently in India only 2/3rd of the births are having spacing of more than 2 years. Therefore this study was planned to find out the awareness and practice of birth spacing among Married women residing in asemiurban area near Chennai.
Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted among 115 married women of Reproductive age group. Pretested and predesigned semi structured Questionnaire was used to collect data on Awareness and practice regarding birth spacing. Data was analysed using proportions.
Results: 96.5% women considered birth spacing as a good practice, 71.3% women had knowledge regarding birth spacing methods. 31.6% women practiced spacing after their first child. IUCDs was the most preferred method adopted. Lack of awareness regarding contraceptives followed by fear of complications was the major reason for not adopting spacing methods.
Conclusion: Attitude regarding spacing was found to be good but knowledge and practice were less. It is high time that New contraceptives like injectable DMPA, POP and Centchroman be introduced in all the health facilities and people should be made aware of all the available methods.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.