ABSTRACT

Karylle Jenessie I. Atutubo, Alyzza Cheyserr Y. Obedoza, Jinky Rose K. Po, Hazel F. Garados, “PREPAREDNESS TOWARDS RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD OF THE COUPLES ATTENDING PRE-MARRIAGE COUNSELLING AT THE CITY HEALTH OF LEGAZPI”, ( An Undergraduate Thesis, Aquinas UniversityCollege of Nursing and Health Sciences Rawis, Legazpi City,2010 )


This study aimed to assess the couples attending pre-marriage counselling in the City Health Office of Legazpi regarding the preparedness of couples towards responsible parenthood. Specifically, it answered the following sub-problems: 1. What are the demographic profiles of couples attending pre-marriage counselling in terms of age, educational attainment, monthly family income, and religion; 2. What preparations are done by the respondents on family planning towards responsible parenthood; 3. What are the problems perceived by the respondents towards responsible parenthood; 4. What appropriate measures may be proposed to achieve responsible parenthood?

This study utilized the descriptive survey method. In gathering the data from the respondents, a questionnaire-checklist had been made, specifically to answer the main as well as the sub-problems of the study. The questionnaire consisted of four parts. The first part consisted of the demographic profile of the respondents, the second part is intended to determine the preparedness of couples towards responsible parenthood, the third part is to determine the perceptions on possible problems that would hinder preparedness of couples towards responsible parenthood, and the last part is intended to gather the proposed measures. The data gathered in the study were tabulated and interpreted that answered the questions asked. Statistical treatment was adapted to resolve adequately the problems. To interpret the data, the statistical tools used were frequency count, percentage and ranking.

Based on the data analyzed the following findings were drawn: In terms of age, most of the couples or 67 percent of the respondents who attended the pre-marriage counselling were within the ages of 18 to 25 years old. On the other hand, 7 percent of the couples were from ages 36 to 40 years old. For educational attainment, 60 percent of the couples were college graduate, No couple had an educational attainment of elementary level or elementary graduate, only. All respondents had attended school. When it comes to monthly family income, 33percent of the couples had monthly family income between P5,000.00 to P7,000.00. On the other hand, no couple had an earning of below P5,000.00. In terms of religion, all of the respondents were Roman Catholic. Four (4) out of the fifteen indicators for the preparations of couples towards responsible parenthood got 100 percent and these are the following: undergo pre-marriage counselling, become aware, being mindful and being alert to issues to allow early resolution and establish a pattern that can last the entire relationship, being up God fearing children, and to spend quality time with the family to strengthen family bonding. From the list of possible problems that would hinder preparedness of couples towards responsible parenthood, uncontrollable vices and whims of one partner or both got the highest percentage, about 90 percent. Infertility on the other hand was the least among the problems, getting only 13 percent. Based on the findings, the conclusions were drawn: Most of the respondents 18-25 years old. The rest of the respondents were 26-30, 31-35 and only among them were 36-40 years old. Along educational attainment, most of the respondents were at college level, vocational course. Few of them were high school graduate and are on high school level. Most of the respondents earned P5,100.00-P9,000.00 a month. Some of the respondents earned P3,100.00-P5,100.00 and a few earned P7,100.00 to PI 1,000.00 and above. All the respondents were Roman Catholic. college graduate and some of them were The data gathered on the preparations of couples shows that most of the respondents plan to undergo pre-marriage counselling, becoming aware, being mindful and being alert to issues to allow early resolution and establish a pattern that can last the entire relationship, to have and brought up God-fearing children and to have quality time in the family to strengthen family bonding ranked first, The rest plans learning to recognize your feelings, both good and bad and use them to enjoy your relationship ranked second. To achieve the desired number of children ranked third, develop relationship skills to enhance the intimacy of your marriage and maintain respect to one another and be both spiritually guided ranked fourth. To choose and agree on family planning to be utilized ranked fifth. To ensure to live with the differences ranked sixth. To be aware of the partner’s core values ranked seventh. The openness to one another, learn how personality and communication styles can affect your partnership and learn how to move from expectancies and assumptions to realistic ideals ranked eight. The remaining of the respondents plans to establish boundaries to let each other know real needs and desires. In line with the possible problems that would hinder preparedness of couples towards responsible parenthood, uncontrollable vices and whims of one partner or both out to be the perceived by the respondents as the primary problem that they might encounter. Infertility on the other hand was the least among the problems.

Based on the findings and conclusions, the following recommendations were provided . 1. The couples should be aware and become more knowledgeable of how they will manage and handle their life when they enter a married life and how they will become responsible parents through the help of pre-marriage counselling. 2. Couples attitude should be improved in order to establish boundaries to let each other know real needs and desires. Each couple should be mentally, physically, emotionally and financially stable in order to meet the family’s expectations to prevent the problems encountered by couples. Thus couples should work things out and talk about their differences and things that hinder their relationship. 3. As a responsible parent, couples should be aware that they are no longer a single independent person who can make decisions alone. They have to consider their partner to prevent conflicts on decision
making.