Awareness and use of family planning methods among iTaukei women in Fiji and New Zealand

• Published in: Australian and New Zealand journal of public health Vol. 42; no. 4; pp. 365 - 371
• Main Authors: Cammock, Radilaite, Priest, Patricia, Lovell, Sarah, Herbison, Peter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Australia Elsevier B.V 01-08-2018; Elsevier Limited; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Birth control; Cities; contraception; Contraception - statistics & numerical data; Contraception Behavior - ethnology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Decision making; Developing countries; Ethnic groups; Families & family life; Family income; Family planning; Family Planning Services; Female; Fiji; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Industrialized nations; LDCs; Males; Methods; Middle Aged; Minority & ethnic groups; New Zealand; Pacific; Population; Public health; Questionnaires; Reproductive health; Reproductive Health - ethnology; Sampling techniques; Socioeconomic Factors; Studies; Suburban areas; Suburbs; Surveys and Questionnaires; Taboos; Teenage pregnancy; Women; Womens health; New Zealand; United States > US; Fiji; family planning; Fiji; Pacific; reproductive health; contraception
• ISSN: 1326-0200; 1753-6405
• DOI: 10.1111/1753-6405.12761

iTaukei women's awareness and practice of family planning methods was investigated in New Zealand and Fiji to ascertain differences in behaviour within the context of changing developmental settings.
The study was cross‐sectional in nature and recruited women aged 18 years and over from three suburbs in Suva, Fiji, and five cities in New Zealand.
Overall, 352 women participated in the study, 212 in Fiji and 140 in New Zealand. The study found that living in New Zealand was significantly associated with lower odds of being aware of family planning (OR 0.4, 95%CI 0.2–0.9, p=0.029) and using family planning methods (OR 0.5, 95%CI 0.2–0.9, p=0.027). Tertiary education was found to increase the odds of being aware (OR 2.8, 95%CI 1.3–6.2, p=0.009) and of using (OR 3.9, 95%CI 1.9–7.8, p=0.000) family planning.
Despite the greater availability of services and higher standards of living experienced in New Zealand compared with Fiji, there was no improvement in awareness and use of family planning among New Zealand participants.
Reduced awareness and use of family planning in New Zealand indicates a need for better targeting of services among minority Pacific ethnic groups.