Open Access Journal of Contraception (Feb 2020)
Decision-Making Power of Married Women on Family Planning Use and Associated Factors in Dinsho Woreda, South East Ethiopia
Abstract
Dinku Dadi,1 Daniel Bogale,2 Zenebe Minda,2 Sintayehu Megersa3 1Madda Walabu University, Bale-Robe, Ethiopia; 2Department of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Madda Walabu University Goba Referral Hospital, Bale-Goba, Ethiopia; 3Bale Zone Health Department, Bale-Robe, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Dinku Dadi P.O. Box, 243, Bale-Robe, EthiopiaTel +251911771873Email [email protected]: Women’s decisions on family planning use have multiple benefits to the family and community at large. In developing countries like Ethiopia, the choice of women to use a contraceptive is challenged by social and environmental factors that mitigate their ability to decide independently and freely. This study therefore determined the level of women’s decision-making power on family planning use and associated factors among married women in the study area.Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Dinsho woreda from March to April 2017. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 373 married women. A structured and pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data by trained data collectors under continuous supervision. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with women’s decision-making power on family planning use. Crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence interval were used and p-value of < 0.05 was considered as statistical significance.Results: A total of 344 (92.2%) women participated in the study. Of the total respondents, 179 (52%) of women had good decision-making power on modern family planning use. Multivariable analysis showed that younger age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] =8.59 [1.61, 45.80]), good participation in household decision-making (AOR =2.65 [1.46, 4.79]), positive attitude towards family planning (AOR =2.34 [1.31, 4.19]), and better knowledge towards family planning (AOR =3.04 [1.49, 6.22]) were factors statistically significantly associated with married women’s decision-making power on family planning use.Conclusion and Recommendation: Women’s knowledge and attitudes toward family planning and their participation in household decision-making increased the likelihood of women’s decision-making power for modern family planning use. There is a need to adopt a more comprehensive approach to reach men and women on modern family planning, to help women to decide freely without any restriction.Keywords: family planning, participation in household decision-making, knowledge, attitude
