[Correlation between socio-demographic characteristics and contraceptive methods]

ABSTRACT

Despite the wide use of family planning programs, they have not reached their goals -the prevention of unwanted pregnancy- and this failure was mainly due to coitus interrupts. The aim of this study was to find the correlation between socio-demographic characteristics and contraceptive methods in 15-49 years old women of Shahrekord in 2003-2004. This descriptive and analytical study was performed on 668 women selected by simple sampling from those referred to 9 urban clinics. A questionnaire with 31 questions about demographic and social factors and about the reason that they did not select another contraceptive method, was filled for each woman. For data analysis, descriptive statistics and Chi square test were used. Demographic factors such as age of husband, age of marriage, duration of marriage, age of the first pregnancy, number of pregnancies, delivery, number of children and desire to have another baby and ideal number of children had significant correlation with choosing coitus interrupts. Social factors such as wife and husband education, wife and husband occupation and the pattern of making decision had significant influence on choosing coitus interrupts. Results also indicated that the most common reason for refusing to use pills was psychological problems, for IUD was uterine bleeding, for TL was desire to have another baby, for vasectomy was husband's unsatisfaction, and for condom and coitus interrupts was fear of pregnancy. According to the results, young men, couples with lower age of marriage, low age at first pregnancy 6 lower frequency of pregnancy delivery and childern 6, short duration from marriage and also higher educational degree and occupational level, choose coitus interruptus more than the others. Therefore, in familly planning the above mentioned factors should be considered