RESEARCH ARTICLE Role of community resource persons in improving use of modern family planning methods among women of reproductive age in a rural area in Ebonyi State, Nigeria Ifeyinwa C. Akamike 1 | Chinyere Mbachu 2 | Chika Onwasigwe 3 | Ijeoma Okedo‐Alex 1 | Irene Eze 1 | Nelson Eze 1 1 Department of Community Medicine, Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Nigeria 2 Department of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu, Nigeria 3 Department of Community Medicine, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria Correspondence Ifeyinwa C. Akamike, Department of Community Medicine, Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Email: ifeychima@yahoo.com, ifeyakamike@gmail.com Summary Background: The study set out to determine the role of community resource persons in improving uptake of modern family planning methods among women of reproductive age in Ebonyi State. Methods: A non‐randomized intervention study with control was done. A multistage sampling technique was used to select a sample of 484 in union women of reproductive age. Data were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire. Community resource persons were trained to provide culturally appropriate information on family planning to men and women in the community. Postintervention data were collected after a waiting period of 3 months. Result: In the intervention arm, use of modern methods of family planning increased significantly by 7.4% at 3 months postintervention (P = 0.01) compared with the control arm. The most commonly used modern methods of family planning were pills, injectables, and barrier methods in the intervention arm and implant in the control arm. The major source of modern methods of family planning was health facility both before and after the intervention in both arms. Number of living children, increasing age and Received: 8 January 2019 Accepted: 9 January 2019 DOI: 10.1002/hpm.2746 Int J Health Plann Mgmt. 2019;1–10. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/hpm 1