Determinants of modern contraceptive use: a comparative analysis of Karamoja and Kigezi regions of Uganda

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to establish differences in the determinants of Modern Contraceptive Use among women aged 15-49 in the regions of Karamoja and Kigezi. Data was extracted from the 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey, a weighted sample of 1087 women aged 15-49 was considered in this study. Logistic regression was used with region as an interaction term to model the association between selected independent variables and the outcome variable (Modern Contraceptive Use) in the two study regions.

Findings revealed that Modern Contraceptive Use in Kigezi was 43.7% and 6.5% in Karamoja region. MCU varied by region and by the following determinants, age at first marriage, the ideal number of children, wealth status and number of living children. Women in Karamoja who got married at an older age (18 years+) were significantly associated with reduced odds (OR=0.21; CI=0.08-0.58) of using modern contraception compared to those married at the same age in Kigezi region. Women in Karamoja whose ideal number of children was 4 and above were less likely to use modern contraceptives (OR=0.12; CI=0.02-0.77) compared to those in Kigezi region. Women who were rich and those in the middle wealth quantile in Karamoja region were significantly associated with increased odds of utilizing modern contraception (OR=5.55; CI=1.7-17.8), (OR=3.83; CI= 1.5-9.5) respectively, compared to those with the same wealth status in Kigezi region (OR=0.18; CI= 0.05-0.69), (OR=0.2; CI=0.07-0.58) respectively.

To address regional inequalities in access and uptake of modern contraceptives, government and partners need to redesign regional specific family planning interventions. Scaleup wealth creation programs to improve households’ incomes and increase access to education to empower women and girls to make the right family planning choices. Intensify targeted family planning messages to different categories of women across the regions to improve acceptance.