Risk Factors of Infertility among Women of Childbearing Age in Enugu State

Abstract

Infertility is a special reproductive health defect with severe consequences to patients, families and the society at large. The purpose of this study was to determine the risk factors of infertility among women of childbearing age in Enugu State from 2006-2015. Three specific objectives with corresponding three research questions and two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The instrument for data collection was a researcher designed female infertility risk factor proforma. The population for the study consisted of all women of childbearing age with infertility who reported in four health facilities used for the study which totalled 7,463. The sample for the study consisted of four hundred cases. Data was collected from the folders of the clients. Frequencies and percentages were used to answer the research questions while chi-square statistic was used to test the null hypotheses. The result of the study showed that reproductive health problems (17.5%) were the leading risk factors for infertility. Women in age group 25-34 years had the highest number of risk factors. Women with tertiary education had the highest number of risk factors. There were significant differences in the risk factors for infertility based on age (χ2 = 9.986, p = .019) and level of education (χ2 = 9.472, p = .0.20). It was therefore recommended that there is urgent need for health educators, government, non-governmental agencies and health care providers to sensitise women on the need for early treatment of reproductive health problems, STI and other chronic health problems which are likely to affect their ability to conceive and have children.