Effects of Body Image and Marital Support on Hormonal Contraceptive Use Anxiety

Abstract

Population control is a serious threat to many nations including Nigeria. With the projections of census experts, except a conscious family planning is instituted, the future may be bleak. Given this background, this study evaluated marital support and body image as factors that affect married women’s anxiety towards hormonal contraceptive use. The participants were 209 married women whose ages ranged from 24 years and 39 years with a mean age of 30.50yrs and a standard deviation of 2.40yrs. multi-stage sampling technique (purposive, cluster and simple random sampling) was applied in the sampling and selection method. Anchored on the theory of planned behaviour, the design was factorial design using 2-Way ANOVA as statistics while Symptoms check list, Spousal support scale and Dresden body image questionnaire (DBIQ) were used for data collection. Findings indicated that the initial group differences observed in hormonal contraceptive anxiety between participants with high marital support and those with low marital support was significant at F = 3.6*, p < .05 (N = 209).  Also, the result revealed that women with healthy body image significantly had lower hormonal contraceptive use anxiety than their counterparts with unhealthy body image at F = 4.8*, p < .05 (N = 209).  Equally there was interaction effect between marital support and body image on hormonal contraceptive use anxiety at F = 21.7*, p < 0.05 (N = 209). Mass education and sensitization was recommended on the importance of harmonious marital unions and proper self-image as factors which can boost wives’ hormonal contraceptive use.