Cosmas Nnadozie Ezejindu¹, Chukwuebuka Godspower Eze²*, Ifeoma Vivian Ugwueke¹, Martin Chinemerem Onuigbo³ and Linda Chidinma Chukwuemeka-Ani¹

¹Department of Public Health, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Ebonyi State, Nigeria
²Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Abia State University, Uturu, Abia State, Nigeria
³Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Abia State University, Uturu, Abia State, Nigeria

*Corresponding Author: Chukwuebuka Godspower Eze, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Abia State University, Uturu, Abia State, Nigeria.

Received: June 03, 2025; Published: June 24, 2025

Abstract

This cross-sectional study examined factors influencing infertility knowledge, perceptions, and access to services among women aged 15 to 49 in three districts—Abba Street, Abakaliki Street, and Abonnema Road—in Mile 1 Diobu, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Using multistage sampling, 384 respondents (128 per district) completed questionnaires assessing socioeconomic, educational, and occupational factors, along with proposed solutions to infertility challenges. Results showed socioeconomic status significantly affected access to infertility services, with 39.8%, 39.1%, and 41.4% of respondents in the three districts reporting strong influence. Education was identified as critical in increasing infertility knowledge, acknowledged by 37.5%, 35.9%, and 38.3% respectively. Occupation had a moderate impact, with about 28-30% indicating it significantly affects infertility risk. Increased awareness and education were the most favored solutions (38.3%-39.1%), followed by improved healthcare access (29.7%-30.5%) and reduced costs (23.4%-24.2%). Chi-square analysis revealed significant associations for age (χ² = 15.27, df = 6, p = 0.018), marital status (χ² = 14.11, df = 6, p = 0.029), and education (χ² = 19.54, df = 6, p = 0.003) with infertility knowledge and access, confirming their important roles. However, occupation (p = 0.207) and ethnicity (p = 0.320) were not significant, while religion (p = 0.055) was marginally non-significant, suggesting varied influences of these factors. This study underscores the need for targeted educational programs, improved healthcare services, and financial support to enhance infertility management in semi-urban Nigerian settings. Ethical clearance was obtained, and data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers and healthcare providers addressing infertility in similar communities.

Keywords: Assessing; Knowledge; Causes; Infertility; Women of Reproductive Age

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Citation

Citation: Chukwuebuka Godspower Eze., et al. “A Cross-Sectional Study of Knowledge on Infertility Causes Among Reproductive-Age Women in Mile 1, Diobu, Rivers State".Acta Scientific Nutritional Health 9.7 (2025): 72-83.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2025 Chukwuebuka Godspower Eze., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.