Exploring Lay Interpretations of Family Planning Through the Use of Social Representations Theory

Knowledge systems underlying health choices are formed through shared, lay interpretations given relevant economic and cultural the everyday understanding of family planning among 400 mothers and fathers from four communities in Negros Occidental, Philippines. We combine quantitative and qualitative analyses to capture the content and meaning of their social representations. K-means clustering reveals of family planning. Thematic analysis helped us generate patterns of meaning to frame shared, localized understandings of family planning. Common notions of family planning are primarily anchored on birth self-discipline. Parents perceive family planning as economically to secure the family's future. This study shows how the meaning of family planning is (re)constructed by members of a particular locale, from its prominent messaging as a government health program to the ideas expressed by its consumers. Findings demonstrate the potential of Social Representations Theory to capture shared meanings rooted in a group's own contexts and conditions.