Religious Faith and Family Planning Choices Among Turkish Women
A recent study explored how faith shapes pregnancy decisions among married Muslim women.
Sample: 331 active attendees of family health centres (87 % participation).
Methodology
| Instrument | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Personal profile sheet | Demographic data |
| Individual Religion Inventory (IRI) | Overall religiosity |
| Religious Attitude Scale (RAS) | Specific religious attitudes |
| Contraceptive intentions survey | Planned use of birth control |
| Desire to Avoid Pregnancy Scale (DAPS) | Motivation to prevent pregnancy |
DAPS Sub‑scales
- Affective – Emotional desire to avoid pregnancy
- Cognitive – Thoughts and planning about avoidance
- Expected Objective – Anticipated outcomes of avoiding pregnancy
Key Findings
- Higher IRI scores → Lower affective & expected objective DAPS
Stronger religious commitment reduces emotional resistance and perceived benefits of avoiding pregnancy.
Affective DAPS inversely related to RAS “relation to God”
A closer spiritual bond dampens emotional opposition to pregnancy.Cognitive DAPS positively linked to certain RAS subscales
Women who think deeply about faith show a modest increase in planned pregnancy intentions.No direct link between overall religiosity and contraceptive intentions
Faith does not strongly predict birth‑control use.
Regression Insights
- IRI → Lower affective & expected objective DAPS
Confirms the inverse relationship between overall religiosity and desire to avoid pregnancy.
Takeaway
Faith encourages deeper consideration of family size but does not automatically lead to higher contraception use or stronger avoidance intentions. The interplay between spiritual values and practical family planning remains complex.
