A university's male personnels' perceptions about actual and ideal child number

Aim
We aimed to determine male personnel’ working at Baskent University perceptions about family planning and ideal child number of a family.

 Methods
This study was performed between September 2006 and September 2007 at Baskent University. A questionnaire composed of determinants  of family planning, self-description of family planning, STDs was given to volunteer academic and managerial personnel (n = 594). Data was analyzed by SPSS 11.0 statistical program.

 Results
Mean age of the respondents was 33.4±7.0, 76.5% married, and 72.8% had children. Mean child number of males who had children was 1.8±0.8 (median 2.0). Participants reported ideal child number of a family as 2.3±0.8 (median 2.0). There was a correlation between actual and ideal child number (r=0.304, p=0.0001). Males and their partners who do not use a family planning method reported ideal child number more than the ones that use, but there was no statistical difference (p>0.05). Males who do not use a method reported their reasons as trying to have a baby (48.1%), harmful for their health (10.0%), and opposed to their beliefs (8.1%). There was statistically significant difference between single and married status, having or not having kids and between married males who have or does not have kids by means of ideal child number (p<0.05). Single, childless and married but childless males reported ideal child number was lower.

 Conclusion
Males’ ideal and actual child number had a correlation in this study. We interpreted this result in two ways: firstly the ones who reported to have more children actually had more children, and secondly ideal child number was determined in accordance with actual child number. Besides both two thirds of our study group had a college degree, and as all of them lived in Ankara they could easily reach family planning services, and these may be relating factors.