Assessing motivators for utilizing family planning services among youth students in higher learning institutions in Dodoma, Tanzania: Protocol for analytical cross sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Contraceptive services utilization is an important intervention in averting the impact of unwanted and unplanned pregnancy among youth which is an obstacle to the higher learning institutions youth students in attaining their educational goals. Therefore, the current protocol aims to assess the motivators for family planning service utilization among youth student in higher learning institutions in Dodoma Tanzania.

METHODS: This study will be a cross-sectional study with quantitative approach. A multistage sampling technique will be employed in studying 421 youth students aged between 18 to 24 years using structured self-administered questionnaire adopted from the previous studies. The study outcome will be family planning service utilization and independent variables will be family planning service utilization environment, knowledge factors, and perception factors. Other factors such as socio-demographic characteristics will be assessed if they are confounding factors. A factor will be considered as a confounder if it associates with both the dependent and the independent variables. Multivariable Binary logistic regression will be employed in determining the motivators for family planning utilization. The results will be presented using percentages, frequencies, and Odds Ratios and the association will be considered statistically significant at p-value <0.05.