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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Life-Course Epidemiology and Social Inequalities in Health
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1271115

Level of client satisfaction among family planning service users in semipastoralist areas of Southeast Ethiopia: A mixed-methods study

Provisionally accepted
Hana Eshetu Gashaw Hana Eshetu Gashaw 1*Zenawi Hagos Gufue Zenawi Hagos Gufue 2Selam Fantahun Selam Fantahun 1Bezawit Birhanu Bezawit Birhanu 3Daniel Dere Deffecho Daniel Dere Deffecho 4Shitalem Tadesse Teshager Shitalem Tadesse Teshager 5Beka Teressa Meka Beka Teressa Meka 6Dawit Jember Tesfaye Dawit Jember Tesfaye 1
  • 1 Department of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia
  • 2 College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Adigrat University, Adigrat, Ethiopia
  • 3 Department of Health Policy and Management, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
  • 4 College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia
  • 5 Department of Anesthesia, College of Medicine and Health science, Debre Berhan University, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia
  • 6 Independent researcher, East Guji Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Client satisfaction with family planning services is a crucial metric for gauging healthcare providers' performance. There is a dearth of local data that explores the factors that influence clients' satisfaction with family planning services in semi-pastoral areas using a mixedmethods approach. This study aimed to assess the level of client satisfaction and its associated factors among family planning service users in six public health centers in Southeast Ethiopia.Methods: A multi-centered, concurrent, mixed-method survey using quantitative and qualitative methods was conducted in six public health centers in Southeast Ethiopia from March 15 to April 16, 2022. Four hundred nineteen systematically selected family planning method users and their respective six family planning service providers were approached using a purposive sampling technique. A multivariable binary logistic regression model was used to identify the independent factors associated with clients' satisfaction with family planning services.Results: Four hundred fourteen study participants were finally approached, and client satisfaction with family planning services in those centers was 57.5%; 95% CI: 52.71, 62.71. Being in the age group of 25-34 years (AOR=1.99; 95% CI 1.2,3.29), married (AOR=2.41; 95% CI 1.13,5.15), waiting less than 30 minutes (AOR=1.74; 95% CI 1.11,2.72), and receiving the family planning method they want (AOR=2.35; 95% CI 1.16,4.76) were positively associated with client satisfaction. Updating the provider's skills and knowledge, keeping clients' method choices, and leaving free decisions also increased client satisfaction.In this study, client satisfaction with family planning services remains low. Users' age, marital status, waiting time, and wish to receive the method they want were positively associated with client satisfaction.

    Keywords: Client satisfaction, Family planning, mixed methods, Semi-pastoralist, Ethiopia

    Received: 01 Aug 2023; Accepted: 22 Apr 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Gashaw, Gufue, Fantahun, Birhanu, Deffecho, Teshager, Meka and Tesfaye. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Hana Eshetu Gashaw, Department of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.