Spatio-temporal variations in unmet need for family planning in Ghana: 2003\u20132014

Samuel H. Nyarko,Corey S. Sparks,Fikrewold Bitew

doi:10.1186/s41118-019-0069-7

Samuel H. Nyarko, Corey S. Sparks + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s41118-019-0069-7

Copy DOI

Journal: Genus	Publication Date: Nov 21, 2019
Citations: 14	License type: open-access

Affiliation: The University of Texas at San Antonio

Abstract

Ghana has long prioritized family planning as a key strategy for improving health and socioeconomic development. However, despite the heavy investments in the sector over the last decade, the family planning program has not successfully improved the country’s family planning indicators. In this study, we describe the spatial and temporal patterns of unmet need for family planning from 2003 to 2014 and mainly estimate the socioeconomic factors affecting it. Using data from the 2003, 2008, and 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys, we map the regional and temporal trends in unmet need for family planning and used Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models to estimate the effects of individual-level socioeconomic characteristics on unmet need for family planning. The results show that there are considerable regional disparities in unmet need for family planning for the study period. These disparities show diverse trends among the ten regions in the country over the study period. The patterns of unmet need for family planning are considerably affected by socioeconomic factors such as educational attainment, household wealth, marital, and work status, as well as age, ethnicity, parity, and time (year). Both socioeconomic and demographic factors play a significant role in the patterns of unmet need for family planning in Ghana. There is the need to formulate consistently effective family planning policies focusing mainly on the higher risk groups of women in the country.

Highlights

Many women of reproductive age in developing countries worldwide are seeking to prevent or postpone pregnancy; they are not using any contraceptive methods
The findings show that the patterns of unmet need for family planning in Ghana are diverse and inconsistent over the study period
The disparities follow diverse and inconsistent patterns over the study period which accentuate the inadequacies in family planning policies in Ghana for the past few decades

Summary

Introduction

Many women of reproductive age in developing countries worldwide are seeking to prevent or postpone pregnancy; they are not using any contraceptive methods These women are considered to have an unmet need for family planning because they are fecund and sexually active and want to avoid or postpone pregnancy but are not using contraception (Sedgh, Ashford, & Hussain, 2016). Over the past decade, rising rates of contraceptive use have reduced unmet need for family planning in most developing countries, but the unmet need remains persistently high. This is likely because contraceptive use is much lower in the developing countries (40%) and is lower in Africa (33 %) (United Nations, 2015).

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion