Knowledge and Attitude towards Family Planning Practice and Prevalence of Short Birth Spacing Among Residents of Suburban Area in Terengganu, Malaysia

Introduction: Family planning allows couples to determine and ascertain the desired number of children as well as the spacing of their births. Short birth spacing has negative effects on mothers, children as well as the family. The aims of the study were to determine the prevalence of family planning practice and short birth spacing among married couples residing suburban area and to determine their knowledge and attitude levels towards family planning practice. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted involving 86 married couples. A systematic random sampling was applied and consented respondents were interviewed using a validated questionnaire. In the study, short birth spacing was defined as any birth-to-pregnancy interval which was less than 24 months. Results: The prevalence of family planning practice was 38.7% (95% CI: 28.7, 49.3). Whereas, the prevalence of short birth spacing among the respondents was 36.0% (95% CI: 25.9, 46.1). The proportion of good knowledge on family planning was higher among husbands compared to wives (P-value=0.041, Chi-value=6.371). Despite good knowledge, husbands had a higher proportion of poor attitude compared to wives (P-value=0.002, Chi-value=9.952). Conclusion: The prevalence of family planning practice in this community was relatively low. As for short birth spacing, the prevalence was low compared to some other studies locally, but higher than findings from other countries. In addition, the knowledge and attitude towards family planning practice were still inadequate in the community of suburban area