Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Family planning practices in couples with children affected by β‑thalassemia major and its relationship with their education: An epidemiological study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

. Bijit Biswas
. Keya Basu 1
. Narendra Nath Naskar 2
. Aparajita Dasgupta 3
. Bobby Paul 3
. Rivu Basu 4

1 Department of Pathology, Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital

2 Departments of Public Health Administration and

3 Preventive and Social Medicine, All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health

4 Department of Community Medicine, R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Although prevention the birth of children with β‑thalassemia major (β‑TM) is an
important health issue, it is rarely explored. With this background, the study was designed to find
family planning practices and related factors of couples with children affected by β‑TM.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross‑sectional, observational study, conducted among
324 parents with children affected by β‑TM attending a tertiary care health facility in Eastern India.
Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariable logistic regression using SPSS.
RESULTS: Of 324 parents, 89.5% were sexually active, 44.8% of which were currently using
family planning method to prevent the birth of another child with the oral contraceptive pill most
preferred (46.9%) followed by tubectomy (33.9%). Those who were sexually active, but not desirous of
a child were 223, of which 41.7% had the unmet need for family planning with religious belief (41.9%)
being the most predominant reason followed by unaware of methods (26.9%). In multivariable
analysis, religion, caste, per capita monthly income, mothers’ education level, and working status
were significant predictors of unmet need for family planning adjusted with others.
CONCLUSIONS: Burden of unmet need for family planning among the study population was
alarmingly high. Parents of the thalassemic children should be counseled in easily comprehensible
local language to increase the rate of contraception among them.

Keywords

Contraceptive prevalence
religion
thalassemia
unmet need for family planning
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Journal of Education and Health Promotion
Volume 9, Issue 7
July 2019
Pages 1-5

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