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Married Women’s Autonomy and Associated Factors on Modern Contraceptive Use in Adwa Town, Northern Ethiopia

Received: 18 June 2014     Accepted: 28 June 2014     Published: 10 July 2014
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Abstract

Background: Women’s autonomy of modern contraceptive use means that those women taking, not taking or even stopping using modern contraceptive by their own decision only. Women’s autonomy in health care decision-making is extremely important for better maternal and child health outcomes. Fertility and contraceptive use in developing countries are associated with various markers of socioeconomic status, most prominent of which is women's autonomy. Women in developing countries, including Ethiopia are either under collective decision making with their partners or completely rely on the male partner’s decision on issues that affect their contraceptive use. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of married women’s autonomy and associated factors for modern contraceptive use in Adwa town, Tigray Region, North Ethiopia. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study design was conducted from September 7-18, 2012. Three hundred seventy married women were selected using simple random sampling technique. Data were entered, cleaned and analyzed by using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) Version 20.0 (SPSS Illinois, Chicago). Binary descriptive statistics and multiple variable regressions were done. Results: In this study from a total of 370 respondents, 133(35.9%) reported that they had autonomy on modern contraceptive use. Educational status of the women was a strong significant predictor in the women’s autonomy on modern contraceptive use. Moreover, mothers did not know their husband’s attitude towards contraception use (AOR=4.34,95% CI:1.54,12.2), discussed with their husband about the number of children (AOR=0.48,95% CI:0.24,0.96), born two and less children (AOR= 0.14, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.66) and decides their future number of children by themselves (AOR=34.8, 95% CI:12.14,99.7) and by joint decision (AOR=2.5,95% CI:1.04,6.0) were more likely autonomous on modern contraceptive use. Conclusions: The autonomy of married women on modern contraceptive use in this study was low. Having better educational attainment has an input on increase women's autonomy on modern contraceptive use. Women who had power of deciding on the number of child present, number child will have in the future, the number of children born and husband’s attitude toward contraceptive use could influence on autonomy of women on modern contraceptive use.

Published in Science Journal of Public Health (Volume 2, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.sjph.20140204.19
Page(s) 297-304
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2014. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Women, Autonomy, Adwa, Tigray

References
[1] Acharya, D. R., Bell, J. S., Simkhada, P., Teijlingen, E. R. and Regmi, P. R. (2010) Women's autonomy in household decision making: Reproductive Health, 7(15) : 7-15
[2] Shireen, J. (1995) Women’s education, autonomy and reproductive behavior, experience from developing countries. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
[3] Haile, A. and Enqueselassie, F. (2006) Influence of women's autonomy on couple's contraception use in Jimma town, Ethiopia: Ethiopian Journal of Health Development, 20(3):145-151.
[4] Nguyen, S. (2003) Women’s Status and Contraceptive Use. Grey, Egypt.
[5] Deborah, B. (1994) Individual and Community Aspects of Women's Status and Fertility in Rural Banglsdesh: Population Studies, 48(1): 21-45.
[6] Ethiopian Society of Population Studies (2008). Gender inequality and women’s empowerment. Addis Ababa: UNFPA,Grey, October 2008.
[7] Central Statistics Authority (2008). The 2007 population and housing census of Ethiopia. Addis Abeba, December, 2008.
[8] Bogale, B., Wondafrash, M., Tilahun, T. and Girma, E. (2011) Married women’s decision making power on modern contraceptive use: BMC Public Health, 11(342) : 1471-2458
[9] Ilene S. and Lisa, C. (2005) Gender Relations and Reproductive Decision Making in Honduras. International Family Planning Perspectives. 31:131–139.
[10] Kinoshita, R. (2003) women’s domestic decision-making power and contraceptive use in rural Malawi: International health. Spring 2003, No. 14.
[11] Asya, A. and Mustafa, A. (2004) Women's Autonomy, Education and Employment in Oman and their Influence on Contraceptive Use: Reproductive Health Matters. 12:144-154
[12] Govindasamy, P. and Malhotra, A. (1996) Women's position and family planning Stud Fam Plann. 27(6):328-40.
[13] Central Statistical Agency [Ethiopia] and ORC Macro. Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Calverton, Maryland, USA: Central Statistical Agency and ORC Macro 2000.
[14] Michelle, J. (2000) Women’s autonomy, women’s status and fertility-related behavior in Zimbabwe: Population Research and Policy Review, 19: 255–282.
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    Mussie Alemayehu, Kiday Hailesellasie, Gebrezgabiher Biruh, Gebremedhin Gebrezgabiher, Fitwi Tinsae, et al. (2014). Married Women’s Autonomy and Associated Factors on Modern Contraceptive Use in Adwa Town, Northern Ethiopia. Science Journal of Public Health, 2(4), 297-304. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20140204.19

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    ACS Style

    Mussie Alemayehu; Kiday Hailesellasie; Gebrezgabiher Biruh; Gebremedhin Gebrezgabiher; Fitwi Tinsae, et al. Married Women’s Autonomy and Associated Factors on Modern Contraceptive Use in Adwa Town, Northern Ethiopia. Sci. J. Public Health 2014, 2(4), 297-304. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20140204.19

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    AMA Style

    Mussie Alemayehu, Kiday Hailesellasie, Gebrezgabiher Biruh, Gebremedhin Gebrezgabiher, Fitwi Tinsae, et al. Married Women’s Autonomy and Associated Factors on Modern Contraceptive Use in Adwa Town, Northern Ethiopia. Sci J Public Health. 2014;2(4):297-304. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20140204.19

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  • @article{10.11648/j.sjph.20140204.19,
      author = {Mussie Alemayehu and Kiday Hailesellasie and Gebrezgabiher Biruh and Gebremedhin Gebrezgabiher and Fitwi Tinsae and Abadi Kidanemariam and Yemane Brhane},
      title = {Married Women’s Autonomy and Associated Factors on Modern Contraceptive Use in Adwa Town, Northern Ethiopia},
      journal = {Science Journal of Public Health},
      volume = {2},
      number = {4},
      pages = {297-304},
      doi = {10.11648/j.sjph.20140204.19},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20140204.19},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjph.20140204.19},
      abstract = {Background: Women’s autonomy of modern contraceptive use means that those women taking, not taking or even stopping using modern contraceptive by their own decision only. Women’s autonomy in health care decision-making is extremely important for better maternal and child health outcomes. Fertility and contraceptive use in developing countries are associated with various markers of socioeconomic status, most prominent of which is women's autonomy. Women in developing countries, including Ethiopia are either under collective decision making with their partners or completely rely on the male partner’s decision on issues that affect their contraceptive use. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of married women’s autonomy and associated factors for modern contraceptive use in Adwa town, Tigray Region, North Ethiopia. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study design was conducted from September 7-18, 2012. Three hundred seventy married women were selected using simple random sampling technique. Data were entered, cleaned and analyzed by using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) Version 20.0 (SPSS Illinois, Chicago). Binary descriptive statistics and multiple variable regressions were done. Results: In this study from a total of 370 respondents, 133(35.9%) reported that they had autonomy on modern contraceptive use. Educational status of the women was a strong significant predictor in the women’s autonomy on modern contraceptive use. Moreover, mothers did not know their husband’s attitude towards contraception use (AOR=4.34,95% CI:1.54,12.2), discussed with their husband about the number of children (AOR=0.48,95%  CI:0.24,0.96), born two and less children (AOR= 0.14, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.66) and decides their future number of children by themselves (AOR=34.8, 95% CI:12.14,99.7) and by joint decision (AOR=2.5,95% CI:1.04,6.0) were more likely autonomous on modern contraceptive use. Conclusions: The autonomy of married women on modern contraceptive use in this study was low. Having better educational attainment has an input on increase women's autonomy on modern contraceptive use. Women who had power of deciding on the number of child present, number child will have in the future, the number of children born and husband’s attitude toward contraceptive use could influence on autonomy of women on modern contraceptive use.},
     year = {2014}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Married Women’s Autonomy and Associated Factors on Modern Contraceptive Use in Adwa Town, Northern Ethiopia
    AU  - Mussie Alemayehu
    AU  - Kiday Hailesellasie
    AU  - Gebrezgabiher Biruh
    AU  - Gebremedhin Gebrezgabiher
    AU  - Fitwi Tinsae
    AU  - Abadi Kidanemariam
    AU  - Yemane Brhane
    Y1  - 2014/07/10
    PY  - 2014
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20140204.19
    DO  - 10.11648/j.sjph.20140204.19
    T2  - Science Journal of Public Health
    JF  - Science Journal of Public Health
    JO  - Science Journal of Public Health
    SP  - 297
    EP  - 304
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2328-7950
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20140204.19
    AB  - Background: Women’s autonomy of modern contraceptive use means that those women taking, not taking or even stopping using modern contraceptive by their own decision only. Women’s autonomy in health care decision-making is extremely important for better maternal and child health outcomes. Fertility and contraceptive use in developing countries are associated with various markers of socioeconomic status, most prominent of which is women's autonomy. Women in developing countries, including Ethiopia are either under collective decision making with their partners or completely rely on the male partner’s decision on issues that affect their contraceptive use. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of married women’s autonomy and associated factors for modern contraceptive use in Adwa town, Tigray Region, North Ethiopia. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study design was conducted from September 7-18, 2012. Three hundred seventy married women were selected using simple random sampling technique. Data were entered, cleaned and analyzed by using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) Version 20.0 (SPSS Illinois, Chicago). Binary descriptive statistics and multiple variable regressions were done. Results: In this study from a total of 370 respondents, 133(35.9%) reported that they had autonomy on modern contraceptive use. Educational status of the women was a strong significant predictor in the women’s autonomy on modern contraceptive use. Moreover, mothers did not know their husband’s attitude towards contraception use (AOR=4.34,95% CI:1.54,12.2), discussed with their husband about the number of children (AOR=0.48,95%  CI:0.24,0.96), born two and less children (AOR= 0.14, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.66) and decides their future number of children by themselves (AOR=34.8, 95% CI:12.14,99.7) and by joint decision (AOR=2.5,95% CI:1.04,6.0) were more likely autonomous on modern contraceptive use. Conclusions: The autonomy of married women on modern contraceptive use in this study was low. Having better educational attainment has an input on increase women's autonomy on modern contraceptive use. Women who had power of deciding on the number of child present, number child will have in the future, the number of children born and husband’s attitude toward contraceptive use could influence on autonomy of women on modern contraceptive use.
    VL  - 2
    IS  - 4
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Public Health, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia

  • Department of Public Health, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia

  • Department of Nursing, Areaya Kahsu College of Health Sciences, Axum, Ethiopia

  • Department of Nursing, Dr. Tewolde College of Health Sciences, Mekelle, Ethiopia

  • Department of Nursing, Dr. Tewolde College of Health Sciences, Mekelle, Ethiopia

  • Department of Nursing, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia

  • Department of Nursing, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia

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