Prevalence and factors associated with the utilisation of modern contraceptive methods among married women of childbearing age in Yemen: a secondary analysis of national survey data.

OBJECTIVE

Improving reproductive health requires access to effective contraception and reducing the unmet need for family planning in high-fertility countries, such as Yemen. This study investigated the utilisation of modern contraception and its associated factors among married Yemeni women aged 15-49 years.

DESIGN AND SETTING

A cross-sectional study was conducted. Data from the most recent Yemen National Demographic and Health Survey were used in this study.

PARTICIPANTS

A sample of 12 363 married, non-pregnant women aged 15-49 was studied. The use of a modern contraceptive method was the dependent variable.

DATA ANALYSIS

A multilevel regression model was used to investigate the factors associated with the use of modern contraception in the study setting.

RESULTS

Of the 12 363 married women of childbearing age, 38.0% (95% CI: 36.4 to 39.5) reported using any form of contraception. However, only 32.8% (95% CI: 31.4 to 34.2) of them used a modern contraceptive method. According to the multilevel analysis, maternal age, maternal educational level, partner's educational level, number of living children, women's fertility preferences, wealth group, governorate and type of place of residence were statistically significant predictors of modern contraception use. Women who were uneducated, had fewer than five living children, desired more children, lived in the poorest households and lived in rural areas were significantly less likely to use modern contraception.

CONCLUSIONS

Modern contraception use is low among married women in Yemen. Some individual-level, household-level and community-level predictors of modern contraception use were identified. Implementing targeted interventions, such as health education on sexual and reproductive health, specifically focusing on older, uneducated, rural women, as well as women from the lowest socioeconomic strata, in conjunction with expanding availability and access to modern contraceptive methods, may yield positive outcomes in terms of promoting the utilisation of modern contraception.