Background Low uptake of various recommended modern family planning methods is associated with inadequate family planning literacy among potential beneficiaries of the methods. As such, understanding factors affecting family planning literacy is key to addressing this problem. This study, therefore, explored factors affecting family planning literacy among women of childbearing age in the rural Lake Zone of Tanzania. Methods The study utilized an exploratory descriptive qualitative research approach using focus group discussions to collect data. A total of eight focus group discussion sessions were held to solicit information from childbearing age women involved in the study. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data collected from the study participants. Results Several factors were found to negatively affect the family planning literacy of women of childbearing age in the communities under review. These factors were low levels of education, religious affiliation, and low family income. Other factors that were also found to negatively affect women’s family planning literacy include fertility preference, negative perceptions of family planning, preference of unproven family planning methods, limited access to reliable sources of family planning information, household responsibilities, and poor male partner support on family planning matters. Conclusion This study has identified a multitude of factors affecting the family planning literacy of women of childbearing age. These factors can limit the women’s capacity to make informed decisions on the utilization of modern family planning methods. Thus, addressing these factors is pivotal in increasing the women’s overall uptake of various recommended family planning methods and enhancing their reproductive health outcomes.
Background Active engagement in seeking maternal health information among women of reproductive age is vital in promoting positive health‐seeking behaviour and improving maternal health outcomes. Objective This study aimed to explore maternal health information‐seeking behaviour of women of reproductive age in a rural Tanzania. Methods Using a qualitative research approach, the study held eight focus group discussions to collect data from a group of purposively selected women respondents. Data were analysed through thematic analysis. Results Women need a range of maternal health information for their informed health decision making. However, while they indicated the need to seek that information from professional health providers, they received most of it from non‐professional and informal sources, including community health workers, traditional birth attendants and their family members. The use of these sources is attributed to, among other factors, unavailability of health facilities and limited access to professional health care. Conclusion Access to relevant and reliable maternal health information is essential in creating awareness and empowering women to make informed decisions about their reproductive health. Women’s use of informal sources to meet their various information needs increases the chances of receiving unreliable information that may result in coming up with poor decisions making.
This article presents the results from a descriptive cross-sectional survey that was conducted to assess the health information literacy skills of women of childbearing age in rural Lake Zone, Tanzania. A total of 349 women were involved in the study. The study found that most rural women in the study area have low levels of health information literacy. The aggregate scores of health information literacy indicate a mean of 42.86% with a normal distribution curve, and estimated close-to-zero skewness (0.172) and kurtosis (−0.297) measures. The causal relationships between health information literacy and women’s socio-demographic factors indicate a positive and statistically significant effect ( p < .01) of women’s level of education, income, ownership of means of communication and access to health facilities on their level of health information literacy. The women’s inadequate ability to access, read, understand, appraise and use health information is a barrier to their acquisition of relevant health information. Enhancing the health information literacy skills of these women is most likely to improve their health outcomes.
Background Low uptake of various recommended modern family planning methods is associated with inadequate family planning literacy among potential beneficiaries of the methods. As such, understanding the factors affecting family planning literacy is key to addressing this problem. This study, therefore, explored factors affecting family planning literacy of women of childbearing age in the rural Lake Zone of Tanzania.Methods The study utilized an exploratory descriptive qualitative research approach using focus group discussions to collect data. A total of eight focus group discussion sessions were held to solicit information from women of childbearing age involved in the study. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data collected from the respondents.Results Inadequate family planning literacy has been found among women of childbearing age in the studied communities. Socio-demographic factors such as education level, religious affiliation, and family income have been found to negatively affect the family planning literacy of the women in this study. Other factors such as fertility preference, negative perceptions about family planning, preference of unproven traditional family planning methods, limited access to reliable sources of information, household responsibilities, and poor male partner support were also found to affect women’s family planning literacy. Conclusion Inadequate family planning literacy among women of childbearing age reduces the women’s chances of obtaining relevant family planning information as well as limiting their abilities to process and understand the information so as to be able to make informed decisions about their reproductive health. Therefore, addressing factors affecting family planning literacy of the women is imperative in increasing their overall uptake of various recommended modern family planning methods.
This paper reports the results of the study which analysed OPAC users’ searching behaviour through the use of search queries. The study analysed how OPAC search queries can be used to assess the effectiveness of the information literacy programme offered by the University of Dar es Salaam. Data were collected unobtrusively and stored in the OPAC web server’s log file. OPAC search logs were qualitatively and quantitatively analysed to determine search patterns and search query formulation. Information literacy course contents were also qualitatively analysed and compared with users’ search activities. The results suggest that search query logs are essential and high quality evidence that can be used to inform information literacy pedagogical methods and course contents improvement. A comparison between OPAC users’ search behaviours and information lteracy course content identified some areas for readjusting the way information literacy instructions are delivered and improving OPAC search functionalities. The study has contributed to the conceptual understanding and the use of evidence to support evidence-informed practices (EIPs) in delivering information literacy courses.
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