Noor-Izzati-Filza Salihoudin

Abstract

Introduction: Postpartum woman and child health is a public health concern as closely spaced pregnancies can lead to adverse maternal and infant outcomes. However, data regarding contraceptive intention among Malaysian postpartum women is lacking. Objective: This study aimed to determine the preferred contraceptive methods among postpartum women, the barriers to contraceptive use among non-users, and the willingness to seek contraceptive counselling provided by pharmacists, besides also aiming to explore factors associated with the intention to use contraceptives. Method: This research involved a cross-sectional study among postpartum women who delivered their babies in three main hospitals in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. A simple random sampling method was used to recruit study participants from September 2019 to January 2020. A face and content validated questionnaire was used for data collection. Descriptive data were presented as numbers and percentages. Pearson Chi-squared test and multiple logistic regression were used for inferential analysis. Result: The response rate was 98.8%. Of the 409 respondents, 84.8% were ≤ 35 years of age, 99.5% were married, and 79.2% were of Malay descent. More than half (62.9%) preferred using modern and non-modern contraceptive methods. The main barriers to contraceptive use were not feeling like using any contraceptive method (52%) and concerns about side effects (26.7%). Spouse education level (adj OR 2.141, 95% CI 1.267 – 3.617) and experience on previous formal contraceptive counselling (adj OR 3.642, 95% CI 2.091 – 6.343) significantly influenced the intention. The majority of respondents (82.4%) were willing to get contraceptive counselling from a pharmacist. Conclusion: The majority of the Malaysian postpartum women express interest in using both modern and non-modern contraceptive methods. Pharmacists could expand their services by advising on the appropriate choice of contraceptive methods in the future.