Barriers to use of modern contraceptives among women in an inner city area of Osogbo metropolis, Osun state, Nigeria

Figures & data

Table 1 Sociodemographic characteristics of respondents

Variables		(N = 359)
Age
Mean age		28.59 ± 6.7 years
Median age		28.0 years
Modal age		25.0 years
Age group in years	N		%
<20	10		2.8
20–24	75		20.9
25–29	131		36.5
30–34	65		18.1
35–39	32		8.9
40–44	19		5.3
45–49	11		3.0
No response	16		4.5
Marital status
Single	84		23.4
Married	258		71.8
Divorced	2		0.6
Widowed	3		0.8
Separated	2		0.6
No response	10		2.8
Religion
Christianity	194		54.0
Islam	147		41.0
Others	18		5.0
Educational status
No formal education	25		7.0
Primary	42		11.7
Secondary	128		35.6
Tertiary	150		41.8
No response	14		3.9
Occupational status
Unemployed	85		23.7
Unskilled employment	118		32.9
Skilled employment	62		17.3
Professional employment	73		20.3
No response	21		5.8
Type of marriage (n = 275)
Monogamy	222		80.7
Polygamy	53		19.3

Table 2 Respondents’ awareness and knowledge about modern contraception

Variables (n = 359)	N	%
Awareness of modern contraceptive methods	324	90.3
Types of modern contraceptive methods known
Male condoms	328	91.4
Injectables	295	82.2
Oral pills	258	71.9
Female condoms	235	65.5
Intrauterine device (IUD)	320	64.1
Bilateral tubal ligation	37	10.3
Spermicides	12	3.3
Implants	12	3.3
Awareness of health facility with service	273	76.0
Cadre of health facility known to offer service (n = 273)
Primary health care center	11	4.0
Comprehensive health center	76	7.8
General hospital	37	13.6
Teaching hospital	138	50.5
Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria	9	3.3
Private hospital	2	0.7
Distance of health facility to respondents’ homes (n = 273)
<5 km	146	53.5
5–10 km	89	32.6
10–15 km	34	12.5
15–20 km	4	1.5
Respondents’ perceptions (n = 359)
Perceived benefits of contraception
Child spacing	228	63.5
Prevention of unwanted pregnancies	215	59.9
Boost husband’s fidelity (keeps husband at home)	94	26.2
Improve family life	85	23.7
Regulation of family size	75	20.9
Prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STI)	49	13.6
Improve mother and child health	18	5.0
Perceived side effects of contraception
None	50	13.9
Irregular menstruation	212	59.1
Abdominal pain	86	24.0
Headache	80	2.3
Infertility	76	21.2
Weight gain	65	18.1
Ectopic pregnancy	62	17.3
Sexual dissatisfaction	57	15.9
Failure rate	39	10.9
Cancer	12	3.3
Others (eg, weight loss, leg pain, vomiting, irritation)	76	21.2

Table 3 Fertility desires, contraceptive use, and barriers to use among respondents

Variables	N	%
Respondents’ reproductive history and fertility desires
Desired number of children (n = 359)
0	4	1.1
1	23	6.4
2–3	118	32.9
4	104	29.0
>4	105	29.2
No response	5	1.4
Number of children alive (n = 359)
None	132	36.8
1	78	21.7
2	69	19.2
3	44	12.3
4	26	7.2
>5	10	2.8
Ever lost a child
Yes	52	14.5
No	307	85.5
Desire more children
Yes	216	60.2
No	143	39.8
Ever use modern contraception (n = 359)
Yes	110	30.6
No	249	69.4
Current users of contraception (n = 359)
Yes	47	13.1
No	312	86.9
Reasons for nonuse of contraception (n = 249)
Desire for more children	99	39.8
Fear of side effects/complications	96	38.6
Ignorance	66	26.5
Perceived low-risk of getting pregnant/not sexually active	38	15.3
Religion	24	9.6
Partner/husband nonsupport/nonapproval	9	3.6
Respondents’ opinion of barrier factors to contraceptive use (n = 359)
Fear of perceived side effects	158	44.0
Ignorance	117	32.6
Misinformation	90	25.1
Superstition	79	22.0
Culture	73	20.3
Negative attitude	46	12.8
Religion	31	8.6
Illiteracy	28	7.8
Partner nonsupport/nonapproval	24	6.7

Table 4 Respondents’ attitude to use of modern contraceptive methods (n = 359)

Attitudinal statements	Agree N (%)	Indecision N (%)	Disagree N (%)
Religion is against the use of family planning	96 (26.7)	48 (13.4)	215 (59.9)
Family planning encourages/promotes infidelity and promiscuity	127 (35.4)	79 (22.0)	153 (42.6)
Family planning is good for the mothers	277 (77.2)	31 (8.6)	51 (14.2)
Culture is against the use of family planning	77 (21.4)	81 (22.6)	201 (56.0)
Family planning methods are not effective	64 (17.8)	69 (19.2)	226 (63.0)
There are many side effects of family planning methods that are harmful	138 (38.4)	95 (26.5)	126 (35.1)
Only women should use family planning methods	115 (32.0)	39 (10.9)	205 (57.1)
Men should also use family planning methods	263 (73.3)	37 (10.3)	59 (16.4)
Husbands should allow their wives to use family planning	303 (84.4)	26 (7.2)	30 (8.4)
Husbands should make family planning decisions	169 (47.1)	63 (17.5)	127 (35.4)
Family planning can reduce the rate of reproductive morbidity and mortality in women	114 (31.8)	72 (20.0)	173 (48.2)
Condoms decrease sexual pleasure	187 (52.1)	92 (25.6)	80 (22.3)

Table 5 Association between respondents’ demographic/reproductive characteristics and uptake of contraception

Variables	Contraceptive ever-use		Total	χ^2	P-value
	Yes	No	N (%)
	N (%)	N (%)
Ever lost a child				0.7	<0.01*
Yes	8 (15.4)	44 (84.6)	52 (14.5)
No	102 (33.2)	205 (66.8)	307 (85.5)
Awareness of place of FP service				24.2	<0.0001*
Yes	102 (37.4)	171 (62.6)	273 (76.0)
No	8 (9.3)	78 (90.7)	86 (24.0)
Support/approval for usage				9.6	<0.002*
Yes	98 (34.5)	186 (65.5)	284 (79.1)
No	12 (16.0)	63 (84.0)	75 (20.9)
Nearness of FP service (n = 273)				0.3	0.9
<5 km	54 (37.0)	92 (63.0)	146 (53.5)
5–10 km	35 (39.3)	54 (60.7)	89 (32.6)
>10 km	13 (34.2)	25 (65.8)	38 (13.9)
Age group in years (n = 343; nonresponse = 16**)				1.12	0.6
<20	2 (20.0)	8 (80.0)	10 (2.9)
20–40	104 (32.8)	213 (67.2)	317 (92.4)
>40	4 (25.0)	12 (75.0)	16 (4.7)
Educational status				1.8	0.2
<Secondary education	16 (23.9)	51 (76.1)	67 (18.7)
>Secondary education	94 (32.2)	198 (67.2)	292 (81.3)
Marital status				11.9	0.001*
Single	13 (15.5)	71 (84.5)	84 (23.4)
Ever married	97 (35.3)	178 (64.7)	275 (76.6)
Number of living children				50.7	0.00000001*
0	12 (9.1)	120 (90.9)	132 (36.8)
1–2	56 (38.1)	91 (61.9)	147 (40.9)
>2	42 (52.5)	38 (47.5)	80 (22.3)

Notes:

* Significant;

** the nonresponses were not analyzed with the data.

Abbreviation: FP, family planning.

Table 6 Multivariate logistic regression analysis of “ever used contraceptives” and some selected variables

Variables	Contraceptive “ever used” N(%)	Unadjusted odds ration	95% CI	P-value
Ever lost a child
Yes	8(15.4)	0.37	0.17–0.81	0.005
No	102(33.2)
awareness of place of FP service
Yes	102(37.4)	5.81	2.70–12.53	0.001
No	8(9.3)
Approved of use of contraceptives
Yes	98(34.5)	2.8	1.4–5.4	0.001
No	12(16.0)
Educational status
<Secondary education	16(23.9)	0.66	0.36–1.22	0.092
>Secondary education	94(32.2)
Marital status
Single	13(15.5)	0.34	0.18–0.64	0.001
Ever married	97(35.3)
Number of living children
0	12(9.1)	0.30	0.17–0.49	0.001
1–2	56(38.1)
>2	42(52.5)

Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; FP, family planning.