Planning families in Kaduna: an investigation into the information-behaviours of parents, frontline and religious information providers in northern Nigeria.

Hellandendu, Malatl

Abstract

IndividualS' response and reaction to a phenomenon is determined by their inner emotions, feelings and experiences when in contact with information. For this reason, the provision of objective, accurate and open information in public health initiatives is crucial to knowledge formation and essential for engaging in high-quality decision making on the premise of trust. Despite efforts put in place by government agencies, National and International organisations, non-governmental organisations and charities to reduce maternal and infant mortality, empower women and improve the socio-economic status of the Nigerian population through the use of family planning (FP), the country remains characterised by high fertility, insecurity, unemployment and high rate of crime, all attributes of overpopulation. Although studies continue to identify cultural and religious practices, fear-of medical side-effects and the role of men as dominant decision-makers in Nigerian culture as barriers to the use of FP, little is known about the interplay between the aforementioned factors and how current FP information is made accessible to the target audience. This thesis therefore uses the information seeking and communication model (ISCM), concepts from Chatman's theory of information poverty and Wilson's 1997 model of information behaviour (IB) to investigate and analyse the IB of three crucial groups at the forefront of giving and receiving information: parents/prospective parents, religious groups and health providers. Specifically, this research aims to understand the nature of information flow and its effect on family planning (FP) uptake in Kaduna, Nigeria. Framing analysis was used to analyse a small range of secondary documents to assess the framing intention of FP messages by authors and the possible effect of this framing on the IB of the audience members, while thematic analysis of 35 semi-structured interviews (with 26 audience members, 5 religious leaders and 5 frontline healthcare providers) was used to gain in-depth insight to the lived reality of the audience members and information providers. The following were identified as contributors to distrust and anxiety among audience members, and thus negatively impacting on the intended effect of the FP information: disparities in the mode of information delivery and the audiences' preferred methods; ambiguity in the framing of FP messages; priority given to patriarchy in FP services and information; uncertainty on the essence of FP; and a misalignment between lived reality and proposed benefits of FP, alongside the high dependency of FP initiatives on modeling institutional practices while ignoring the continuous nature of context shaped by users' social practices. The study ends by recommending a number of possible improvements in the development of FP initiatives and communication processes, to make FP information more credible, trustworthy and timely enough to contribute to knowledge formation and social practices within rural communities.

Citation

ADEDOKUN, R.F. 2024. A roadmap for energy transition strategic planning and governance: a case study of Nigeria's grid-based renewable electricity sector. Robert Gordon University, PhD thesis. Hosted on OpenAIR [online]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.48526/rgu-wt-2445678

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Nov 1, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 1, 2024
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.48526/rgu-wt-2445678
• Keywords: Family planning; Healthcare information; Information seeking; Information behaviours
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2565398
• Award Date: Aug 31, 2023