Which one of the following is the main target of family welfare programs?

Tripura CHO - 2021

Community Health Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: Tripura CHO - 2021

Explanation

The primary goal of family welfare programs is to manage population growth by promoting planned parenthood.
This involves providing information, counseling, and services related to contraception, birth spacing, and limiting family size.
The demographic group that is actively involved in reproduction is couples where the woman is in her fertile years (reproductive age, typically 15-49).
This group is officially termed 'eligible couples' and constitutes the main target for all family planning interventions.
Focusing on this group allows the program to effectively influence birth rates and improve maternal and child health outcomes.

Option A: Males after their fertile age have significantly reduced or no capacity to father children, so they are not a primary target for family planning services aimed at preventing new births.
Option C: Children are beneficiaries of the family welfare program (e.g., through immunization and nutrition services), but they are not the decision-makers or the direct targets for family planning and contraception.
Option D: Women who are past their fertile age (post-menopausal) are no longer able to conceive. Therefore, they are not a target for contraceptive services.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Target population of family welfare programs as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Community health nurses play a vital role in identifying, registering, and counseling eligible couples in their designated area.
Maintaining an updated 'Eligible Couple Register' is a fundamental task for healthcare workers to track contraceptive use, follow up on pregnancies, and ensure MCH services are delivered.
Understanding the target population helps in allocating resources, planning outreach activities (like health camps), and measuring the effectiveness of the program through indicators like the Couple Protection Rate (CPR).

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core concept of the question, which is the 'main target' of 'family welfare programs'.
Recall the primary objective of family welfare programs: to promote planned families and control population growth.
Analyze the options based on this objective. The program's focus must be on the group of people who are actively reproducing.
Eliminate options that are not in the reproductive phase: 'Male after fertile age' and 'Women after fertile age'.
Differentiate between beneficiaries and targets. While 'Children' benefit from the program, the decisions about family size are made by their parents.
Conclude that 'Couples in the fertile age' are the direct target for family planning interventions, making this the correct answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 1 — Subpart C (pp 404-604 of 604) p. 186-188

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