Factors associated with the occurrence of abortion among MWRAs in the province of Iloilo

Abstract

This study was a secondary analysis of the completed research conducted in (1995-1997) by the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI), CPU in collaboration with Women Resource Center (WRC) and the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP), Iloilo Chapter. From the completed data of the said study, a section on background characteristics, obstetrical status, use of FP and childbearing experience was culled out and were analyzed and interpreted accordingly.

This investigation primarily aimed to determine the association between selected factors such as background characteristics, obstetrical status and the occurrence of abortion among the MWRA’s in Iloilo province. It was hypothesized that certain demographic characteristics such as age at marriage, residence, religion, working status, SES’ and education are associated with the MWRA’s attainment experience of abortion. Furthermore, it was also predicted that obstetrical status and use of FP are linked to the occurrence of abortion among the MWRA’s.

The study had also adopted the research design, data gathering and processing of the FHI study, which involved the survey design through key informant interviews and personal interviews. The sampling however was only culled out from the total survey respondents involving only the 360 MWRA’s from Iloilo Province. The data was also segregated from the already encoded data based on the objectives of the study and the variables included in the analysis.

The data taken out from the FHI study were processed and analyzed using statistical software SPSS + PC. Frequency distributions and measures of central tendency were utilized to facilitate descriptive analysis. For association analysis Cramers V test of association was employed with the level of significance set at 5 percent.

The findings of the study revealed that the MWRA’s of Iloilo Province were in their mid-twenties, non-working, urban dwellers, high-school educated, predominantly Roman Catholics and have average socio-economic standing. Furthermore, it was found out that a married woman had pregnancy once every 3 years and had 3-4 children on the average. The data also revealed that one-third of the MWRA’s are currently practicing family planning. With regard to the occurrence of abortion, the study found out that there was one abortion for every five known pregnant MWRA’s.

Association analysis revealed that among the background characteristics; residence, religion, occupational status and educational attainment have significant bearing on the occurrence of abortion while age at marriage and socio-economic status do not influence MWRA’s experience with abortion. Supportive of the DOH standard is the finding that the occurrence of abortion is dependent upon the spacing of childbirth and parity. Consequently, a woman who is currently using a family planning method tended to preserve her pregnancy.

Based on the salient findings of the study the researcher recommends to the DOH, LGU and NGO’s to strengthen their comprehensive maternity program and reproductive health by intensifying their information, education, communication and motivation campaign on safe motherhood with more emphasis on high risk groups such as MWRA’s with low educational attainment, rural dwellers, non-Roman Catholics and actively working, It is further recommended to program planners and implementors to strengthen their rural health center’s campaign against abortion stressing adverse effect to the mother and the child. For future researchers, the writer further suggests that they look more closely into the psychological, social and ethic-moral factors affecting the occurrence of abortion.