Stakeholders can provide local insights on barriers to FP. It can be challenging to know whether there may be limited program perceptions if only one inquiry method is used. Researchers aimed to validate the perceptions of stakeholders on barriers to FP.
The analysis runs five focus groups with community, government, and NGO stakeholders to identify barriers to using modern FP. The qualitative phase results were then compared using a quantitative survey of 960 women who had at least one child under five years.
The qualitative phase identified a range of FP barriers, including lack of awareness, lack of access, religious beliefs, myths, and opposition by husbands. However, the quantitative survey found that these issues are not a concern for the majority of women. The main reasons women for not using FP were that they were not currently having sex or had a child recently, so they felt they did not need to use it.
The study concluded that stakeholders’ perceptions from a qualitative approach do not necessarily reflect the population’s perspectives, as documented in a quantitative survey. When involving stakeholders, it is essential to recognize that different methods may elicit different responses, particularly concerning sensitive issues or issues applicable to particular subgroups.
Reference: https://srh.bmj.com/content/43/1/44
