Contraceptive Use and Its Socio-economic Determinants among Women in North-East and North-West Regions of Nigeria: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

This study investigated the socio-economic factors associated with reported contraceptive use by women of reproductive age in northern Nigeria. Bivariate and logistic regression analysis was applied to successive Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS: 1999-2013) data to examine the relationship between reported use of modern contraceptives (the dependent variable) and the socioeconomic status (age, rural-urban residence, education, religion, current work status, marital status, and number of living children) of these women in the north-east (NE) and north-west (NW) geo-political zones (GPZs). The results indicated that women’s socio-economic status were positively associated with use of modern contraceptives in the NW in 1999 (AOR=2.15; 95%CI=1.47, 3.14), 2003 (AOR=1.64; 95%CI=1.30, 2.08) and 2013 (AOR=1.30; 95%CI=1.12, 1.50) and also in the north-east in 2008 (AOR=0.74; 95%CI=0.64, 0.86). Contraceptive use could increase as FP programmes better respond to the socio-economic and cultural circumstances of women in northern Nigeria.