Effect of migration on fertility and family planning: The case of Kayseri in Türkiye

Many factors such as religious beliefs, cultural structure, the perspective of the host country toward refugees, and the course of the migration process can affect the family planning and fertility behaviors of refugees. This study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of Syrian refugee pregnant women in the Kayseri province of Türkiye regarding fertility characteristics and family planning. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 290 pregnant Syrian refugee women. In the study group, 58.3% of the participants were 18 years of age or younger when first married. In the study group, 39.0% had 4 or more pregnancies and the average number of pregnancies was 3.12 ± 1.60. The rate of refugee pregnant women who stated they were undecided regarding the knowledge, attitude, and behavior items about family planning ranged from 33.8% to 72.4%. Of the participants, 22.1% received family planning education. The mean number of pregnancies of the participating women was high. In addition, the rate of undecided respondents was high for the knowledge, attitude, and behavior items related to family planning. In conclusion, fertility behaviors should be planned by expanding family planning services. In this way, negative outcomes, especially in maternal and child health, can be prevented.