Predictors of poor perception of women's use of contraceptives among Nigerian men: A national survey

Abstract

Background: Men's poor perception about the use of contraceptives has been linked to their lack of support for the use of contraceptives by women. This study aims to study the predictors of poor perception of women's use of contraceptives among Nigerian men. Methodology: We conducted a weighted analysis of data from the 2013 Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey that included 17,359 men aged 15–19 years with STATA software, version 12.0 SE (Stata Corporation, TX, USA), using multiple logistic regression models. Results: Poor perception of women's use of contraceptives was found in 38.2% (n = 6609) of the men. Men who perceive contraception as entirely women's business (odds ratio [OR] =8.08; confidence interval [CI]: 7.02–9.29), knew about contraceptives (OR = 2.73; CI: 1.65–4.02), did not listen to radio (OR = 1.71; CI: 1.43–2.04), and were currently unemployed (OR = 1.53; CI: 1.04–2.27) were more likely to have a poor perception on contraceptives. Significant reduction in likelihood for poor perception of women's use of contraceptives was found among respondents who, in the preceding months, heard about family planning on radio (OR = 0.86; CI: 0.75–0.97), read about family planning in the newspapers (OR = 0.85; CI: 0.72–1.00), discussed about family planning with a health-care worker (OR = 0.72; CI: 0.59–0.88), and allows the wife/partner a greater say in matters concerning her healthcare (OR = 0.62; CI: 0.47–0.83). Conclusion: Perception of contraceptive as an entirely women's business, poor exposure to media, and not allowing the women have a say in health-care matters were the key drivers of poor perception of contraceptive use among men.