TY - JOUR
T1 - Meeting women’s demand for contraceptives in Ghana
T2 - Does autonomy matter?
AU - Atiglo, D. Yaw
AU - Codjoe, Samuel N.A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, © 2018 Taylor & Francis.
PY - 2019/4/21
Y1 - 2019/4/21
N2 - This study addressed a basic conceptual gap in research on the relationship between women’s autonomy and contraceptive behavior and included intention to use while measuring the unmet demand for family planning. The study used data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. The weighted sample included 2,017 sexually active, non-pregnant, fecund women in unions, aged 15–49 years, who wanted to delay conception for at least 2 years. The relation of household decision-making autonomy to current contraceptive use and intention was assessed, adjusting for women’s socio-demographic, partner, and couple characteristics. About half of the women studied had a met demand for contraception, and over a third had no intention to use a contraceptive method in the future. In adjusted multinomial logistic regression models, household decision-making autonomy was not significantly associated with met contraceptive demand for contraceptives, but was associated with their intentions to use contraception (p = .05). Formal education, age, wealth, and region of residence were significantly associated with having a met demand. In Ghana, women’s household decision-making autonomy appears to have modest relation to contraceptive uptake. Programs to improve meeting contraceptive demand should consider contextual factors and place differences in contraceptive uptake.
AB - This study addressed a basic conceptual gap in research on the relationship between women’s autonomy and contraceptive behavior and included intention to use while measuring the unmet demand for family planning. The study used data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. The weighted sample included 2,017 sexually active, non-pregnant, fecund women in unions, aged 15–49 years, who wanted to delay conception for at least 2 years. The relation of household decision-making autonomy to current contraceptive use and intention was assessed, adjusting for women’s socio-demographic, partner, and couple characteristics. About half of the women studied had a met demand for contraception, and over a third had no intention to use a contraceptive method in the future. In adjusted multinomial logistic regression models, household decision-making autonomy was not significantly associated with met contraceptive demand for contraceptives, but was associated with their intentions to use contraception (p = .05). Formal education, age, wealth, and region of residence were significantly associated with having a met demand. In Ghana, women’s household decision-making autonomy appears to have modest relation to contraceptive uptake. Programs to improve meeting contraceptive demand should consider contextual factors and place differences in contraceptive uptake.
KW - Contraceptives
KW - Ghana
KW - pregnancy intentions
KW - unmet demand
KW - women’s autonomy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85053857381&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/03630242.2018.1500413
DO - 10.1080/03630242.2018.1500413
M3 - Article
C2 - 30040604
AN - SCOPUS:85053857381
SN - 0363-0242
VL - 59
SP - 347
EP - 363
JO - Women and Health
JF - Women and Health
IS - 4
ER -