Family size preferences of men in the western area of Sierra Leone. Method and determinants.

A sample survey of the Western Area of Sierra Leone was conducted between November 1986 and February 1987 targeting ever married men aged 20 and over to gather data for the analysis. In Greater Freetown a cluster sampling method was employed. The enumeration areas (EAs) used for the 1985 national census were divided into 862 sub-EAs and a sample cluster of 40 sub-EAs was selected. A simple systematic random selection of 5 out of 15 EAs in the Western Rural Area was performed and a total of 3006 men were enumerated. Data analysis was based on cross-tabulations and multiple regression. The one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test for differences between means and the relationship between response and dependent variables. The step-wise regression method was used in order to screen out redundant variables where multicollinearity occurs. Over 90% of the sampled men in the Western Area were currently married and almost 9% were either separated or divorced. The mean age was 40.3 years in Greater Freetown while in the Western Rural Area it was 41.8 years. The mean ages at first marriage for men in the city and Western Rural Area were 26.5 years and 26.4 years respectively. Over 95% of men in the Western Area were familiar with both traditional and modern contraceptives while only 76.7% knew modern contraceptives alone. However only 26.5% used modern contraceptives. 41.3% of men used the condom whenever they had to resort to protection. Oral contraceptives (30%) the IUD (14.3%) foaming tables and jelly (11.9%) followed in popularity. The mean desired family size was 4.39 children in the Western Area 4.97 in the Western Rural Area and 4.27 in the city. In the city as well as in the Western Rural Area the sociopsychological factor was most influential in determining mens desired family size (51.1% and 50.6% respectively). The current status of the economys effect on mens desired family size was the most important determinant.