International Journal of Sub-Saharan African Research (IJSSAR)

Background: Persistent high fertility rates and low contraceptive prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Nigeria, have prompted sustained efforts by governmental and non-governmental organisations to promote family planning. These initiatives seek to educate couples about the benefits of family planning and encourage the adoption of modern contraceptive methods. Radio remains one of the most accessible and cost-effective channels for health communication; however, empirical evidence regarding its effectiveness in promoting family planning behaviour at the community level remains limited.
Objective: This study investigated married couples' exposure to radio advertisements on family planning, their level of knowledge of family planning, and the extent of family planning practice among married couples of reproductive age in Ikere Local Government Area (LGA), Ekiti State, Nigeria.
Method: The study adopted a descriptive survey design. A multistage sampling procedure involving stratified, purposive, and simple random sampling techniques was used to select 400 respondents from a population of 147,355, based on Yamane's sample size formula. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Chi-square) at a 0.05 level of significance. Results: The findings revealed that respondents had a high level of exposure to radio advertisements on family planning (mean = 3.39), demonstrated substantial knowledge of family planning methods (mean = 3.39), and reported moderate-to-high levels of family planning practice (mean = 3.14). Furthermore, a statistically significant relationship was found between exposure to radio advertisements and knowledge of family planning (?² = 21.56, p = 0.002).
Conclusion: Although radio remains an effective medium for disseminating family planning information in rural and semi-urban communities, increased exposure and knowledge alone are insufficient to promote consistent family planning practice. Recommendation: Government agencies and non-governmental organisations should increase investment in radio-based family planning campaigns while strengthening community stakeholder engagement and developing culturally sensitive programming to maximise their effectiveness and promote sustained behaviour change.