Family planning knowledge, attitude and practice among Rohingya women living in refugee camps in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Plain Language Summary Considering the high risk of maternal morbidity and mortality, increased risks of unintended pregnancy, and the unmet need for contraceptives prevalent among the Rohingya refugees, this study aims to explore the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of family planning (FP) and associated factors among Rohingya women living in the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Four hundred Rohingya women participated in the study. We found that Rohingya refugee women were a marginalized population in family planning and their comprehensive FP-KAP status was low. Contraceptive uptake among the Rohingya women was low due to a lack of education and family planning awareness. In addition, family planning initiatives among Rohingya refugees were limited by various traditional cultural and religious beliefs. Therefore, strengthening FP interventions and increasing accessibility to essential health services and education are indispensable to improving maternal health among refugees.

Keywords

• Family planning knowledge
• Family planning attitude
• Family planning practice
• Contraceptive use
• Rohingya displaced women
• Refugee camps