A study of knowledge and attitudes towards contraception among health care staff in Kelantan (Malaysia).
OBJECTIVE
To study the knowledge, attitudes and practices on various contraceptive methods among all government health clinic staff in the state of Kelantan.


METHODS
Questionnaire-based study.


METHODS
All government health clinics in the state of Kelantan which are health facilities located outside the general hospital and seven district hospitals.


METHODS
All 711 nursing staff employed in government health clinics in Kelantan state (sisters, staff nurses, assistant nurses and midwives).


METHODS
Pretested, prestructured proforma was sent out to all the nursing staff employed in all peripheral health centres to be completed by them and returned the same day via the medical officer in charge of that district.


RESULTS
Most of the respondents were more than 30 years of age, married, multiparous and working for more than 5 years. Eighty to ninety percent practised contraception, with the majority of midwives preferring pills and the majority of staff nurses preferring condoms. Thirty to forty percent from all groups felt that folk methods are effective, and should be encouraged. Only about 50% of staff nurses are well informed on all contraceptive methods, but among assistant nurses and midwives, this figure is only 33%. A high proportion felt that the nursing curriculum deals inadequately with this subject.


CONCLUSIONS
The first step towards achieving success in our family planning programme lies in imparting more information to this target group of health workers, by incorporating more lectures during training and sending them for courses.
Suhaimi
H
H
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, General Hospital, Kota Bahru, Kelantan, Malaysia.
Monga
D
D
Siva
A
A
D000328:Adult; D003267:Contraception; D005193:Family Planning Services / Q000193:education; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia; D009740:Nursing Staff; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires