ABSTRACT Background: Unplanned pregnancies among university students is an important public health issue in both developed and developing countries because of its negative association with social, psychological and health outcomes for both mothers and the children. The rate of unplanned pregnancies among university female students is high. Unplanned pregnancies can be prevented by effective use of contraceptives. Aim of the study: To determine the factors contributing to the prevalence of unplanned pregnancies among female university students at Kampala International UniversityWestern Campus (KIU-WC) Method: A quantitative descriptive survey was conducted among 96 female university students at KIU-WC. A hand delivered self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data by the researcher. Results: The level of unplanned pregnancies is high among participants (85.2%) who carried pregnancy while at the university. Low socio-economic factors (47.3%) contribute to the prevalence of unplanned pregnancies. Participants always accessed contraceptives (83.3%) from pharmacies/drug shops (54.4%) and private clinics (38.9%) expensively. Effective use of contraceptives protected majority of the sexually active participants (67.7%). Conclusion: Most pregnancies among female students at KIU-WC are unplanned and these unintended pregnancies are due to low socio-economic factors. This problem can be reversed by the free access and effective use of contraceptive methods by students.

Contents

ABSTRACT.............................................................................................................................xi

COPYRIGHT.........................................................................................................................xii

AUTHORISATION.............................................................................................................. xiii

DEDICATION ...................................................................................................................... xiv

List of figures....................................................................................................................... xviii

List of tables .......................................................................................................................... xix

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS/ACRONYMS....................................................................... xx

1.0 Introduction....................................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Background......................................................................................................................... 1

1.3 Purpose of the study............................................................................................................ 4

1.4 Justification for the study.................................................................................................... 5

1.5.1 Broad objective ................................................................................................................ 6

1.5.2 Specific objectives........................................................................................................... 6

1.6 Research questions............................................................................................................ 6

CHAPTER TWO .................................................................................................................... 7

LITERATURE REVIEW ...................................................................................................... 7

2.0 Introduction....................................................................................................................... 7

2.1 Socio-economic factors influencing unplanned pregnancies among female University 

students ................................................................................................................................. 7

2.2 Assessment of the free access to the contraceptive methods and reproductive health 

services to University female students.................................................................................. 9

2.3 The preventive measures to unplanned pregnancies in female University student........... 10

CHAPTER THREE.............................................................................................................. 12

METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................... 12

3.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................... 12

3.2 Study design and rationale ................................................................................................ 12

3.3 Study setting and rationale................................................................................................ 12

3.4 Study population ............................................................................................................... 13

3.4.1 Sample size determination ............................................................................................. 13

3.4.2 Sampling procedure ....................................................................................................... 14

xvii

3.4.3 Inclusion criteria ............................................................................................................ 14

3.4.4 Exclusion criteria ........................................................................................................... 14

3.5 Definition of Variables ..................................................................................................... 15

3.5.1 The dependent variable measured was unplanned pregnancies among female university 

students. .............................................................................................................................. 15

3.6 Research instruments........................................................................................................ 15

3.7 Data collection procedure ................................................................................................. 16

3.7.1 Data management......................................................................................................... 16

3.7.2 Data analysis and presentation ..................................................................................... 17

3.8 Ethical consideration......................................................................................................... 17

3.9 Study limitation................................................................................................................. 17

3.10 Dissemination of results.................................................................................................. 18

CHAPTER FOUR................................................................................................................. 19

RESULTS .............................................................................................................................. 19

4.0 Introduction....................................................................................................................... 19

4.1 The demographic data findings......................................................................................... 19

4.2 socio-economic factors ..................................................................................................... 21

4.3 Free access to contraceptives and reproductive health services........................................ 28

4.4 Prevention of unplanned pregnancies............................................................................... 35

CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF RESULTS, CONCLUSIONS AND 

RECOMMENDATIONS...................................................................................................... 38

5.1.1 The demographic characteristics findings.................................................................... 38

5.1.2 The socio-economic factors.......................................................................................... 39

5.1.3 Assessment of free access of contraceptive methods and reproductive health services to 

university female students............................................................................................... 41

5.1.4 The prevention of unplanned pregnancies in female university students..................... 45

5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS................................................................................................ 47

5.4 IMPLICATIONS TO NURSING PRACTICE ............................................................ 47

REFERENCES...................................................................................................................... 48

APPENDIX 1......................................................................................................................... 52

APPENDIX 2: QUESTIONNAIRE..................................................................................... 53