Factors Affecting Family Planning None-Use Among Women of Reproductive Age in Kersa District

Factors Affecting Family Planning non-use among Women of Reproductive Age in Kersa District, Eastern Ethiopia Desalew Zelalem, Tadesse Alemayehu, Wondimye Ashenafi Abstract Introduction: Fertility in Ethiopia is among the highest in the world and such high fertilities are known to have close association to high maternal, infant and child morbidities and mortalities. The use of family planning methods for controlling fertility is very limited in Ethiopia. The low contraceptive prevalence in the country could be due to the negative effects of the demographic, social, cultural and economic factors. Objective: This study is initiated with the objective of examining the socio-economic, attitudinal and demographic variables as major causes of family planning non-use. Methods: Cross-sectional community based survey was conducted in 12 kebeles of Kersa district. A total of 964 women at reproductive age were involved in the study. The selection of the study subjects were made by using systematic random sampling method. Data was collected using the interviewer-administered structured questionnaires and data was analyzed using SPSS version 16. Result: Although the number of respondents that claimed they have heard about FP methods was 85%, it was only 29% of the respondents have ever used any contraceptive methods and the percentage of current contraceptive use was even reduced to 22%. In a multi-variant analysis, the middle age women (OR=2.96; CI=1.89, 4.63; P<0.05), those women who did not discuss with their husbands about family planning (OR=0.22; CI = 0.13, 0.38; P<0.05) and those who did not listen radio have shown statistical association with family planning non-use. Recommendation: Community conversation about the importance of family planning should be encouraged. Local medias (such as FM Kersa) could play an important role on advertising the need of limiting family size by designing serial programs such as radio drama that arouse spousal communication and family planning adoption.