Client Satisfaction with Family Planning Services and Associated Factors in Tembaro District, Southern Ethiopia

Introduction: Client satisfaction influences the use of family planning and other reproductive health services. This study aimed to assess the magnitude of client satisfaction with family service and its associated factors among reproductive-age women.

Patients and methods: We conducted a facility-based cross-sectional study. A total of 411 clients, nested in four health facilities, were included in the analysis. Systematic sampling was employed to select study units for the exit interview. Data collection instruments for this study were pre-tested structured questionnaires. Client satisfaction was assessed using fifteen Likert-scaled question items. Each item of question has 5 points ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) and, finally, mean was computed. The pre-coded data were entered into Epi Data version 4.2.0 and exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Logistic regression analysis was carried out to identify independently associated factors at a confidence interval of 95% and a significance level of p-value less than 0.05.

Results: Magnitude of client satisfaction with family planning service was 46% [95% CI: 41-50.8]. Rural residence [AOR=3.07; 95% CI: 1.10-8.62], educational level of college and above [AOR=0.22; 95% CI: 0.07-0.70] as compared to the educational level of primary education, waiting time of less than half an hour [AOR=7.80; 95% CI: 2.48-24.48], maintaining privacy [AOR=7.16; 95% CI: 2.89-17.69], describing side effects of methods [AOR=3.14; 95% CI: 1.02-9.76] were factors significantly associated with client satisfaction.

Conclusion: The overall magnitude of client satisfaction with the services was found to be low. Many of the factors that attributed to the low level of client satisfaction are modifiable. There is a need for organizing the family planning room as per standards, maintaining privacy, minimizing waiting time, and describing the side effects during the provision of service.