scholarly journals Spatio-temporal variations in unmet need for family planning in Ghana: 2003–2014

Genus ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel H. Nyarko ◽  
Corey S. Sparks ◽  
Fikrewold Bitew

AbstractGhana has long prioritized family planning as a key strategy for improving health and socioeconomic development. However, despite the heavy investments in the sector over the last decade, the family planning program has not successfully improved the country’s family planning indicators. In this study, we describe the spatial and temporal patterns of unmet need for family planning from 2003 to 2014 and mainly estimate the socioeconomic factors affecting it. Using data from the 2003, 2008, and 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys, we map the regional and temporal trends in unmet need for family planning and used Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models to estimate the effects of individual-level socioeconomic characteristics on unmet need for family planning. The results show that there are considerable regional disparities in unmet need for family planning for the study period. These disparities show diverse trends among the ten regions in the country over the study period. The patterns of unmet need for family planning are considerably affected by socioeconomic factors such as educational attainment, household wealth, marital, and work status, as well as age, ethnicity, parity, and time (year). Both socioeconomic and demographic factors play a significant role in the patterns of unmet need for family planning in Ghana. There is the need to formulate consistently effective family planning policies focusing mainly on the higher risk groups of women in the country.

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanni Yaya ◽  
Dina Idriss-Wheeler ◽  
Olalekan A. Uthman ◽  
Ghose Bishwajit

Abstract Background In low-middle-income countries, unmet need for family planning (FP) constitutes a major challenge for prevention of unintended pregnancies and associated health and psychological morbidities for women. The factors associated with unmet need for family planning have been studied for several countries in sub-Saharan Africa, but not much is known about the situation in Gambia and Mozambique. The purpose of this study was to perform a comparative analysis of the prevalence of unmet need for FP, and its sociodemographic correlates in Gambia and Mozambique to better inform FP policies and programs aimed at reducing associated negative health outcomes for women and their families. Methods In this analysis we used nationally representative data from Demographic and Health Surveys in Gambia (2013) and Mozambique (2011). Sample population were 23,978 women (n = 10,037 for Gambia and 13,745 for Mozambique) aged 15–49 years. Women who want to stop or delay childbearing but were not using any contraceptive method were considered to have unmet need for FP. Association between unmet need for FP and the explanatory variables was measured using binary logistic regression models Results Prevalence of unmet need for FP was 17.86% and 20.79% for Gambia and Mozambique, respectively. Having employment in professional/technical/managerial position showed an inverse association with unmet need both in Gambia [OR = 0.843, 95% CI 0.730, 0.974] and Mozambique [OR = 0.886, 95% CI 0.786, 0.999]. Education and household wealth level did not show any significant association with unmet need. The only positive association was observed for rural [OR = 1.213, 95% CI 1.022, 1.441] women in the richer households in Gambia. Having access to electronic media [OR = 0.698, 95% CI 0.582, 0.835] showed a negative effect on having unmet need in Mozambique. Women from female headed households in Gambia [OR = 0.780, 95% CI 0.617, 0.986] and Mozambique [OR = 0.865, 95% CI 0.768, 0.973] had lower odds of unmet need for FP. Conclusion The situation of unmet need for FP in Gambia and Mozambique was better than the Sub-Saharan African average (25%). Nonetheless, there is room for improvement in both countries. Significant assocations with lower unmet need for family planning and women’s occupational status (more education & higher skilled employment), access to mass media communication, and female-headed households provide possible areas for intervention for improved FP opportunities in the region.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harriet Namukoko ◽  
Rosemary Ndonyo Likwa ◽  
Twaambo E. Hamoonga ◽  
Million Phiri

Abstract Introduction: Unmet need for family planning among married women is still high in Africa. In the year 2018, one in every five married women in Zambia had an unmet need for family planning. Unmet need for family planning can increase the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions, both of which have the potential to increase the proportion of women of child bearing age who are at high risk of birth complications. Studies have shown that factors explaining unmet need for family planning vary significantly from country to country, depending on access and availability of family planning services for women. We conducted this study to understand the determinants of unmet need for family planning in Zambia. Knowledge of factors associated with unmet need for family planning can help governments and stakeholders to identify health strategies to reduce unwanted fertility and prevent maternal and child mortality.Methods: The study used datasets from the Zambia Demographic and Health Survey which was a representative cross-sectional survey conducted in 2018. Zambia conducted a Demographic and Health to capture health indicators which are used to measure progress of implementation of health sector interventions. We did analysis on a sample of 7, 597 married women aged 15-49 years. Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyse determinants of unmet need for family planning. Stata version 14.2 was used to analyse weighted data and survey commands were applied to account for the complex sample design. Results: Study findings have revealed that half of the married women were still not using contraception by 2018. Unmet need for family planning among married women is still a public health issue in Zambia. In multivariate regression analysis; age, parity, household wealth and exposure to media-based family planning messages were found to be significantly associated with unmet need for family planning among married women.Conclusion: There is need to enhance family planning policy and programming in the country in order to achieve desired health outcomes. Mass media campaigns and community-based outreach activities with special focus on the young women can achieve significant results in reducing unmet need for family planning. Further, there should be some deliberate interventions to conduct family planning talks during in health facilities targeting women who visit maternal and children care clinics.


2009 ◽  
Vol 364 (1532) ◽  
pp. 2991-3007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex C. Ezeh ◽  
Blessing U. Mberu ◽  
Jacques O. Emina

We use data from the Demographic and Health Surveys to examine the patterns of stall in fertility decline in four Eastern African countries. Contrary to patterns of fertility transition in Africa that cut across various socio-economic and geographical groups within countries, we find strong selectivity of fertility stall across different groups and regions in all four countries. In both Kenya and Tanzania where fertility decline has stalled at the national level, it continued to decline among the most educated women and in some regions. While fertility has remained at pre-transition level in Uganda over the past 20 years, there are signs of decline with specific groups of women (especially the most educated, urban and those in the Eastern region) taking the lead. For Zimbabwe, although fertility has continued to decline at the national level, stall is observed among women with less than secondary education and those in some of the regions. We link these intra-country variations to differential changes in socio-economic variables, family planning programme environment and reproductive behaviour models. The results suggest that declines in contraceptive use, increases in unmet need for family planning, increasing preferences for larger families, and increases in adolescent fertility were consistently associated with stalls in subgroup fertility across all four countries. These results are consistent with models that emphasize the role of declines in national and international commitments to family planning programmes in the premature stall in sub-Saharan fertility transition.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Chao Wang ◽  
Huimin Cao

Background. Evidence suggests that equitable provision of contraceptive services can help women achieve their reproductive goals and has significant impact on reducing the rates abortion and unintended pregnancy at large. However, regional disparities continue to persist on top of low family planning prevalence which is a critical public health challenge for fast growing populations like Nigeria. Objectives. The present study aimed to explore the prevalence of (1) nonuse of modern contraceptives, (2) unmet need for contraception, and (3) regional disparities in these two. Methods. The present study used cross-sectional data obtained from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 2003, 2008, and 2013. Participants were women of reproductive of age (15-49 years) regardless of marital status. Regional disparities of nonuse of modern contraceptives and unmet need were analysed by descriptive and multivariate regression methods. Results. In the pooled sample of 79,656 participants during 2003, 2008, and 2013, 88.6% reported not using any modern methods, and 13.5% reported having unmet need for contraception. The prevalence rates of nonuse were, respectively, 91.8%, 90.6%, and 88.6% and those of unmet need were 14.2%, 16.6%, and 13.5% in the years 2003, 2008, and 2013. Significant differences were observed in the odds of reporting nonuse and unmet need for contraception across the geopolitical zones. Conclusions. The rates of nonuse of contraception are remarkably high among women in Nigeria with significant disparities across the six geopolitical zones. Efforts should be made to address the regional disparities in order to achieve the goals of universal coverage of family planning services in the country.


2000 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 513-526 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. MAZHARUL ISLAM ◽  
A. H. M. SAIDUL HASAN

This paper analyses mass media exposure and its effect on family planning in Bangladesh using data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 1993–94. The findings indicate that radio and television are two important mass media for disseminating family planning information in Bangladesh. However, access to them and exposure to family planning through them are still limited. Slightly more than 40% (42·1%) of respondents reported that they had heard family planning messages via radio, while 17·2% said television, 8·4% said poster and 5·4% said billboard. Respondent’s place of residence, education, economic status, geographical region and number of living children appeared to be the most important variable determining mass media exposure to family planning. Multivariate analysis shows that both radio and TV exposure to family planning messages and ownership of a radio and TV have a significant effect on current use of family planning methods. These factors remain significant determinants of contraceptive use, even after controlling socioeconomic and demographic factors. The study reveals that both socioeconomic development policies and family planning programmes with a special emphasis on mass media, especially radio, may have a significant effect on contraceptive use in Bangladesh. The principal policy challenge is to design communications strategies that will reach the less privileged, rural and illiterate people who are by far the majority in Bangladesh.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Million Phiri ◽  
Clifford Odimegwu ◽  
Chester Kalinda

Abstract Background: Closing the gap of unmet needs for family planning (FP) in sub-Saharan Africa remains critical in improving maternal and child health outcomes. Determining the prevalence of unmet needs for family planning among married women in the reproductive age is vital for designing effective sexual reproductive health interventions and programmes. Here, we use nationally representative data drawn from sub-Saharan countries to estimate and examine heterogeneity of unmet needs for family planning among currently married women of reproductive age. Methods: This study used secondary data from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted between January 1, 1995 to December 31, 2020 from 37 countries in sub-Saharan African. An Inverse Heterogeneity model (IVhet) in MetaXL application was used to estimate country and sub-regional level pooled estimates and confidence intervals of unmet needs for FP in SSA. Results: The overall prevalence of unmet need for family planning among married women of reproductive age in the sub-region for the period under study was 22.9% (95% CI: 20.9–25.0). The prevalence varied across countries from 10% (95% CI: 10–11%) in Zimbabwe to 38% (95% CI: 35–40) and 38 (95% CI: 37–39) (I2 = 99.8% and p-value < 0.0001) in Sao Tome and Principe and Angola, respectively. Unmet needs due to limiting ranged from 6%; (95% CI: 3–9) in Central Africa to 9%; (95% CI: 8–11) in East Africa. On the other hand, the prevalence of unmet needs due to spacing was highest in Central Africa (Prev: 18; 95% CI: 16–21) and lowest in Southern Africa (Prev: 12%; 95% CI: 8–16). Our study indicates that there was no publication bias because the Luis Furuya-Kanamori index (0.79) was within the symmetry range of -1 and +1. Conclusion: The prevalence of unmet need for FP remains high in sub-Saharan Africa suggesting the need for health policymakers to consider re-evaluating the current SRH policies and programmes with the view of redesigning the present successful strategies to address the problem.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel H. Nyarko ◽  
Lloyd Potter

AbstractAdolescent fertility levels have shown considerable improvements globally over the past decades. However, adolescent childbearing remains high in developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. This study, thus, examines the levels and socioeconomic factors associated with adolescent fertility in Ghana. The study drew on data from the 2003, 2008, to the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys to perform a logistic regression analysis of socioeconomic factors associated with adolescent fertility. The results show that adolescent childbearing levels have not shown any considerable improvements over the study periods (10%, 10%, and 11% for 2003, 2008, and 2014, respectively). Socioeconomic factors such as household wealth status, working status, employer status, and employment period were associated with adolescent fertility. Female adolescents from poor households, employed and self-employed adolescents, as well as regular workers, were linked to higher adolescent fertility risks. Older adolescents, and ever married adolescents also show significantly higher childbearing risks while the risk levels steadily increased over time. Promoting economic empowerment among female adolescents and targeting employed female adolescents in fertility control measures may have considerable positive implications for adolescent fertility levels in Ghana.


Author(s):  
Myint Myint Wai ◽  
Espen Bjertness ◽  
Hein Stigum ◽  
Thein Thein Htay ◽  
Tippawan Liabsuetrakul ◽  
...  

Despite increasing contraceptive use and prevalence, many women who want to avoid or delay pregnancy are not using contraceptives. This results in unintended pregnancies, which increases the risk of unsafe abortions. This study aimed to explore the extent of the unmet need for family planning (FP) among urban and rural married women in Myanmar and their demand for and satisfaction with FP. A cross-sectional survey using adapted Demographic and Health surveys questions was conducted in south and north Yangon from September 2016 to November 2016. A total of 1100 currently married women of 18–49 years participated. The contraceptive prevalence was 67.2% in total, 63% urban, and 70% rural. About 19.4% (95% CI: 16.7%–22.4%) of the studied women had an unmet need for FP, significantly higher in urban than rural women (22.6% versus 16.6%). Rural women also showed significant lesser odds (adjusted OR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.461–0.849) of unmet need than the urban counterparts. About 86% of the women had demand for contraception and 77% of them satisfied their demand. The study population revealed a fairly good contraceptive coverage; however, a considerable proportion of women had an unmet need for FP, especially the urban women. The demand for contraception is increasing, and contraceptive services need to expand coverage to marginalized groups in order to reduce the risk of unsafe abortions.


Author(s):  
Anita Pal ◽  
Jeetendra Yadav ◽  
Sunita . ◽  
Kh. Jitenkumar Singh

Background: Many women in low and middle-income countries would like to limit or delay their pregnancy, but they do not enough access to consistent use of modern contraceptive methods. The concept of unmet need for family planning is focus to reproductive health policies, as it endures serious implications for the women, the child, family and the whole society. The aims of the study are to assess the spatial dimensions of extent of unmet need for family planning and also identify association between individual, household, community and district level covariates with the level of unmet need for family planning among married women of reproductive age group in Bihar, India.Methods: The study uses data from fourth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4). To meet the objective the analysis included descriptive, spatial visualization, spatial autocorrelation and multilevel logistic model. In the first step of analysis the multivariate analysis was used to know the levels of unmet need for family planning by selected background characteristics.Results: This study indicating that nearly one in five or more women experiences unmet need for family planning suggests that the problem remains of considerable magnitude and that action is needed to fill the gap in contraceptive use, which is currently estimated at a lowest 24 percent. Apart from providing a current estimate of unmet need, our study identified a number of relevant socioeconomic and demographic factors likely to shape the probability that a women experiences unmet need. It is observed across individual level, community/psu level and district level.Conclusions: Considering this fact, family planning program in Bihar should also focus on eliminating misconceptions and fear about contraception through proper counselling of couples and information, education and communication activities in the community and try to improve the quality of advice and care services related to family planning.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suresh Mehata ◽  
Yuba Raj Paudel ◽  
Ranju Mehta ◽  
Maureen Dariang ◽  
Pradeep Poudel ◽  
...  

Contraceptive use during the postpartum period is critical for maternal and child health. However, little is known about the use of family planning and the determinants in Nepal during this period. This study explored pregnancy spacing, unmet need, family planning use, and fertility behaviour among postpartum women in Nepal using child level data from the Nepal Demographic and Health Surveys 2011. More than one-quarter of women who gave birth in the last five years became pregnant within 24 months of giving birth and 52% had an unmet need for family planning within 24 months postpartum. Significantly higher rates of unmet need were found among rural and hill residents, the poorest quintile, and Muslims. Despite wanting to space or limit pregnancies, nonuse of modern family planning methods by women and returned fertility increased the risk of unintended pregnancy. High unmet need for family planning in Nepal, especially in high risk groups, indicates the need for more equitable and higher quality postpartum family planning services, including availability of range of methods and counselling which will help to further reduce maternal, perinatal, and neonatal morbidity and mortality in Nepal.


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