Key predictors of modern contraceptive use among women in marital relationship in South-West region of Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Background: Nigeria’s population is the seventh largest in the world and is projected to be the fourth largest by 2050. The demographic scenario is akin by persistent high fertility and low contraceptive use. This paper examined factors influencing contraceptive use among women in marital relationship in south-west region which has the highest percentage of use compared to other regions.Methods: A sub-sample of 3,784 women in marital relationship in the south-west region aged 15-49 was extracted from the 38,945 nationally representative samples of the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). The dependent variable was contraceptive use, and key predictors include fertility behavior, employment, agents of modernity, and background factors. Logistics regression techniques were used in modeling the multivariate relationships.Results: Results showed that contraceptive use varied significantly by state of residence. It increased (odds = 3.6, p-value=0.000) for respondents with higher education compared to the uneducated. Also it increased (odds = 2.84, P-value=0.000) for the richest sub-group compared to the poorest/poorer category. The odds of using contraceptive increased (odds=2.20, P-value=0.000) for respondents who preferred no other child compared to their counterparts who preferred to have additional; and it decreased (odds=0.37, P-value=0.000) for those who had two or fewer children compared to those who had three or more.Conclusions: Policies and programme intervention should consider education, wealth status, and preference for additional child, and number of living children as key to increasing contraceptive uptake in the region.