Determinates and Trends of Unmet Need For Family Planning Among Married Women Aged 15-49 in Ethiopia: A Study Inoromiy Region
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Date
2020-10
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Background: Out of ten married women or in-union women one in most regions of the world
has an unmet need for family planning; that is to say, they are required to give up or late
childbearing but to prevent pregnancy they do not use a modern contraceptive method. Despite
increases in contraceptive use in developing countries, the total number of women with unmet
need remains high and has even increased slightly, from 210 million in 2003 to 225 million in
2014. In Ethiopia unmet need for family planning for currently married women, age 15-49 is
22%. That is more than 1 in 5 married women in Ethiopia who have an unmet need for family
planning. The objective of this study was to assess the changes in family planning practice,
explain the changes in the level of unmet need for FP to analyze demographic, socioeconomic,
and institutional determinants of unmet need for FP among married women between EDHS 2000
- 2016 surveys in Oromia region.
Method: Data was obtained from the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys
(EDHS)performed in 2000, 2005, 2011, and 2016. Data concerning a total of 5,830 currently
married women, aged 15-49, was considered in the analysis. The data from all EDHS was
collated so as to follow the trends throughout the period considered for the survey. Descriptive
analysis was used to examine the trends and multivariable logistic regression was used to
identify factors associated with unmet need for both spacing and limiting and binary logistic
analysis was used to identify factors associated with total unmet need.
Results: Results show that the total unmet need for contraceptives in the Oromia region was
generally declining overtime except for 2005 when it tended to rise. That is it was 38.7% for
2000, 41.3% for 2005, 30.7% for 2011, and 28.3% for 2016. Unmet need for family planning
shows a declining trend with women who had no media exposure (radio and TV) across the four
EDHS. The major reasons for not using contraception were the women wanting more children,
religious prohibition, and fear of side effects, respondent and husband opposition to using, and
woman sub-fecundity or infecundity. The multivariable analysis identifies higher odds of unmet
needs among women at younger age, primary education, living in rural area, no media exposure
about family planning and for currently working women. Also the analysis shows lower odds of
unmet need for women with small number of children, older age at first intercourse and large
number of ideal children.
Conclusion and recommendation: There was a higher level of unmet need in the Oromia
region in all four surveys. The level of unmet need in rural residents was higher than that of
urban residents. The finding shows family planning messages had a positive effect on unmet
needs. Therefore, the government is recommended to increase family planning messages
delivered through radio, TV, and health facility workers during ANC, PNC, delivery, and
immunization.