Demographic Factors Influencing Family Planning Practices Among Married Residents in Ilorin West Local Government Area, Kwara State

This study examined the impact of contraceptive awareness and key demographic attributes on family planning practices among married residents in Ilorin West LGA, Nigeria. By adopting a descriptive survey design, data were collected from 215 married respondent across six randomly selected wards using a multistage sampling technique with structured questionnaire administered and analyzed using descriptive statistic and Spearman correlation tested at 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed that respondents exhibited a high level of awareness of fertility control measures, with scores ranging from M = 2.85; SD = 0.85 to M = 2.90; SD = 0.81 and a composite mean of 2.88, indicating substantial knowledge of contraceptive methods from health workers, media, and interpersonal networks. Educational background also influenced family planning practices, with mean scores from M = 2.77; SD = 0.82 to M = 2.91; SD = 0.87 and a composite mean of 2.84, while religious beliefs exerted minimal influence, with ranging score from M = 1.65; SD = 0.67 to M = 2.18; SD = 1.04 and overall mean of 2.35. Spearman correlation results indicated that awareness of family planning (rho = 0.254, p = 0.000) and educational background (rho = 0.372, p = 0.000) significantly and positively influenced family planning practices as p<0.05, whereas religious belief (rho = 0.097, p = 0.158) had no significant effect as p>0.05. The study postulated that awareness and education significantly enhance family planning strategies, while religious affiliation is less influential and recommends that government and health agencies should intensify awareness campaigns, incorporate family planning education into formal and informal learning and customarily sensitive strategies to stimulate wider utilization of fertility.