Determinants of Unintended Pregnancy Among Currently Married Women in Gozamen woreda, East Gojjam of Amhara, Ethiopia
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Date
2010-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Context: - It is a universally accepted fact that unintended pregnancy and births could have negative consequences for women, children, families and societies at large.
The current study aimed to examine the level and determinants of unintended pregnancy among selected women in Gozamen woreda in the Amhara Region.
Methods: - A cross-sectional study involving a sample of 576 currently married women of reproductive age, whose most recent pregnancy occurred within the last five years prior to the survey was carried out in three kebeles, selected from the study area. All pregnancies regardless of outcome are included in the study Data was collected from 554 respondents using a structured questionnaire.A multistage sampling technique was used to reach the respondents. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed. Descriptive and multivariate statistical techniques were used in the analysis of the data.
Results: - About two out of five women (40.8 percent) reported that their most recent pregnancies were unintended. High percentage of unintended pregnancy (87.2%) was among respondents who were not using modern method of contraception prior to their most recent pregnancies.
Results of the multivariate analysis indicated that several demographic, socio-economic and family planning factors influence whether a pregnancy is intended or unplanned.
Women aged 35 and above (OR: 6.644), those who didn’t use contraceptive prior to the recent pregnancy (OR :2.047 ), those with no knowledge of modern contraceptive methods (OR : 4.068) and those married to husbands who do not approve contraceptive methods (OR: 3.962) had a higher chance of experiencing unintended pregnancy. Furthermore, those married at the age of 18 and above (OR: 0 .321), respondents who have exposure to media (OR: 0.404), women with at least primary education (OR: 0 .169), those women working outside home (OR: 0.387) and those married to husbands working in the non-agricultural sector (OR: 0.172) had lower chance of experiencing unintended pregnancy.
Conclusion and recommendation: - Unintended pregnancy was found to be a major reproductive health problem in the study area resulting from the high unmet need for family planning and thus deserves priority attention. Policymakers and program planners need to design programs and
services carefully to reduce unintended pregnancy in the region, especially, services should focus on helping those groups of women who are identified in the analysis as being at increased risk of unintended pregnancy- illiterate, ,older women aged 35 and above, those who got married at early age ,those who have less knowledge and practice of contraceptive methods and those who have five or more living children and women in rural areas
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Pregnancy; Married women