Mass media exposure and modern contraceptive use among married West African adolescents

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine whether family planning (FP) messaging is reaching married adolescent women in West Africa, and whether such messaging is associated with increased contraceptive use.

Materials and methods: We utilised data from the 2010 Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) for Burkina Faso and Senegal (women 15–49; N = 17,067 and N = 15,688, respectively). We used chi-square tests to evaluate whether FP messaging exposure (via TV, radio, and/or print) differed according to socio-demographic characteristics. Subsequent analysis focussed on married adolescents (15–19; N = 961 in Burkina Faso, N = 996 in Senegal) which utilised propensity score matching and multivariable logistic regression models to test the association between self-reported FP messaging exposure and modern contraceptive use, knowledge of a modern contraceptive method, and future intention to use contraception.

Results: A higher proportion of women 15–49 who reported FP messaging exposure were urban, from higher wealth quintiles, and had higher education levels, compared with unexposed women. A smaller proportion of adolescents reported exposure compared to older age groups. Among married adolescents, there was a positive but non-significant association between FP messaging exposure and use of a modern contraceptive method in Senegal (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.3; 95% CI: 0.92, 5.73). No such association was found in Burkina Faso (aOR = 0.98; 95% CI: 0.43, 2.26).

Conclusions: Mass media campaigns are not reaching the most vulnerable populations in West Africa, such as adolescents and poorer rural women. Adapting mass media campaigns to address these gaps is important for increasing exposure to FP messaging.

Chinese abstract

目的：本研究的目的是研究计划生育（FP）信息是否影响到西非的已婚青少年女性, 以及这种信息是否与避孕药具的使用增加有关。

材料和方法：我们利用2010年布基纳法索和塞内加尔的人口与健康调查（DHS）数据

（15-49岁女性分别为, N = 17067和N = 15688）。我们使用卡方检验评估FP信息暴露程度（通过电视, 收音机和/或印刷）是否依据不同的社会人口学特征而变化。随后将分析集中在已婚青少年 （15-19岁, 布基纳法索 N = 961, 塞内加尔 N = 996）, 利用倾向得分匹配和多变量逻辑回归模型评估自述的FP信息暴露与使用现代避孕方法, 对现代避孕方法的了解和将来避孕的倾向性之间的关联。

结果：15-49岁FP信息暴露的女性住在城市的比例较高, 相比未暴露的妇女拥有较高的财富, 并有较高的教育水平。与年龄较大的年龄组相比, 青少年FP信息暴露的比例较低。在已婚青少年中, 塞内加尔组FP信息暴露与使用现代避孕方法有不显着的正相关（校正比值比（aOR）= 2.3；95％CI：0.92, 5.73）。 布基纳法索组没有发现这种关联（aOR =0.98; 95％CI：0.43, 2.26）。

结论：大众媒体没有触及西非最脆弱的群体, 如青少年和贫穷的农村妇女。 调节大众媒体活动来解决这些差距对于增加FP信息传播非常重要。

Keywords:

• Adolescents
• contraception
• behaviour change
• mass media
• francophone West Africa

Acknowledgements

The DHS Program provided the data for our study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.