Abstract:
Background: Kahama district in Shinyanga region has Contraceptive Prevalence Rate
(CPR) of 16%, which is far below the national average of 27%. Little is known on
factors contributing to the low level of utilization of contraceptives in Kahama district,
and particularly among women in stable marital relations.
Objectives: To determine the prevalence of current use of contraceptive methods among
women in stable marital relations attending health facilities; describe the types of
contraceptive methods used among women in stable marital relations attending health
facilities; assess socio-cultural factors (beliefs including religious, husband’s approval,
and spouse communication) in relation to use of contraceptive methods among women
in stable marital relations attending health facilities; determine the association between
socio–demographic factors (age, occupation, education level, access, number of
children) and use of contraceptive methods among women in stable marital relations
attending health facilities.
Methods: A cross-sectional study on contraceptive methods use was conducted among
314 women and 20 service providers in ten wards from ten health facilities. Data were
collected using structured and in-depth interview questionnaires. Information gathered
included socio-demographic, socio – cultural characteristics, accessibility of
contraceptive methods, current use and access to information.
Results: Thirty five percent of women in stable marital relations reported to be using
contraceptive methods. Highest (58%) use of contraceptives was reported among women
in formal employment. Factors found to be significantly associated with contraceptive
use were: education level, occupation, traditional cultural beliefs, and support from
husband/partners and access to information while religion, decision maker on desired
number of children in the family were not found to be significantly associated with the
use of contraceptive methods.
Conclusion: Prevalence of contraceptive use among women in stable marital relations is
34.5% than that in the general population of women with the age of 15 -49 years inKahama district (16%, 2011 district report). Socio-demographic factors like education
level and occupation were found to influence the use of contraceptive methods among
women in stable marital relations. Moreover, socio-cultural factors like religious beliefs
and husband/partner support were also crucial in influencing the use of contraceptive
methods.
Recommendations: District Health Management teams should develop interventions
that will enable women in stable marital relations to understand the importance of using
contraceptive methods. Since this study did not involve men, further studies are needed
to determine the extent of use of contraceptive methods among men and associated
factors.
