Department of Global and International Health, School of Public Health, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana.
Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Disease Control, School of Public Health, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana.
Eur J Contracept Reprod Health Care. 2021 Oct;26(5):383-389. doi: 10.1080/13625187.2021.1910234. Epub 2021 Apr 19.
Women's empowerment and autonomy have been proven to promote women's use of modern contraceptives. This study examined women's autonomy as a potential factor for modern contraceptive use among Ghanaian women in a union.
We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. The main outcome measure was current modern contraceptive use from women's self-report. Three composite indices were used to assess women's autonomy: household decision-making, attitudes towards wife-beating, and property ownership.
A total of 4772 non-pregnant women aged 15-49 years in a union were included in the analysis. The mean age was 34.2(±7.97) years, 53.6% received at least secondary education, 87.7% were employed, and 76.5% received family planning information within the last 12 months. The prevalence of modern contraceptive use was 24.8% (95% CI: 22.9-26.7). Women's autonomy was independently associated with modern contraceptive use. Compared with women with low autonomy, women with moderate (AOR= 1.26, 95% CI: 1.02-1.55, = 0.034) and high autonomy (AOR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.01-1.79, = 0.044) had increased odds of modern contraceptive use. Maternal age, education, number of living children, employment, region, and exposure to family planning information were also strongly associated with modern contraceptive use.
The findings from this study support the assertion that women's autonomy may be vital in promoting the use of modern contraceptives among women in a union in Ghana and other low-income and middle-income countries and should be considered in family planning programs.
已证实增强妇女权能和自主权可促进妇女使用现代避孕药具。本研究考察了加纳已婚妇女自主权作为现代避孕药具使用的潜在因素。
我们对 2014 年加纳人口与健康调查的数据进行了二次分析。主要结局指标是妇女自我报告的当前现代避孕药具使用情况。使用三个综合指标评估妇女的自主权：家庭决策、对打老婆的态度和财产所有权。
共纳入 4772 名年龄在 15-49 岁之间的已婚非孕妇女人群进行分析。平均年龄为 34.2（±7.97）岁，53.6%至少接受过中等教育，87.7%就业，76.5%在过去 12 个月内接受过计划生育信息。现代避孕药具使用率为 24.8%（95%CI：22.9-26.7）。妇女自主权与现代避孕药具使用独立相关。与自主权较低的妇女相比，自主权中等（AOR=1.26，95%CI：1.02-1.55， = 0.034）和高（AOR=1.34，95%CI：1.01-1.79， = 0.044）的妇女使用现代避孕药具的可能性更高。产妇年龄、教育程度、存活子女数量、就业、地区和计划生育信息的接触情况也与现代避孕药具的使用密切相关。
本研究结果支持这样一种观点，即自主权可能是促进加纳已婚妇女和其他中低收入国家妇女使用现代避孕药具的关键因素，应在计划生育方案中加以考虑。
