Trends of Modern Contraceptive Use among Young Married Women Based on the 2000 2005 and 2011 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys: A Multivariate Decomposition Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Accessing family planning can reduce a significant proportion of maternal infant and childhood deaths. In Ethiopia use of modern contraceptive methods is low but it is increasing. This study aimed to analyze the trends and determinants of changes in modern contraceptive use over time among young married women in Ethiopia. METHODS: The study used data from the three Demographic Health Surveys conducted in Ethiopia in 2000 2005 and 2011. Young married women age 15-24 years with sample sizes of 2157 in 2000 1904 in 2005 and 2146 in 2011 were included. Logit-based decomposition analysis technique was used for analysis of factors contributing to the recent changes. STATA 12 was employed for data management and analyses. All calculations presented in this paper were weighted for the sampling probabilities and non-response. Complex sampling procedures were also considered during testing of statistical significance. RESULTS: Among young married women modern contraceptive prevalence increased from 6% in 2000 to 16% in 2005 and to 36% in 2011. The decomposition analysis indicated that 34% of the overall change in modern contraceptive use was due to difference in womens characteristics. Changes in the composition of young womens characteristics according to age educational status religion couple concordance on family size and fertility preference were the major sources of this increase. Two-thirds of the increase in modern contraceptive use was due to difference in coefficients. Most importantly the increase was due to change in contraceptive use behavior among the rural population (33%) and among Orthodox Christians (16%) and Protestants (4%). CONCLUSIONS: Modern contraceptive use among young married women has showed a remarkable increase over the last decade in Ethiopia. Programmatic interventions targeting poor younger (adolescent) illiterate and Muslim women would help to maintain the increasing trend in modern contraceptive use.