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. 2018 Aug 20;18(1):141.
doi: 10.1186/s12905-018-0634-9.

Modern contraceptive use among women of reproductive age in Ghana: analysis of the 2003-2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys

Philomina Akadity Aviisah  1   2 , Samuel Dery  1 , Benedicta Kafui Atsu  3 , Alfred Yawson  1 , Refah M Alotaibi  4 , Hoda Ragab Rezk  4   5 , Chris Guure  6
Affiliations

Modern contraceptive use among women of reproductive age in Ghana: analysis of the 2003-2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys

Philomina Akadity Aviisah et al. BMC Womens Health. .

Abstract

Background: Contraceptives are used in family planning to space or limit pregnancies and are categorized into modern and traditional methods. The modern methods have been proven to be more scientifically effective at preventing unwanted pregnancies than the traditional methods. With data from three (3)-different Demographic and Health Surveys, the aim of this study is to assess the trends and identify factors that consistently influence modern contraceptives' use among women of the reproductive age group in Ghana.

Methods: The study used secondary data from the 2003, 2008, and 2014 Ghana Demographic Health Surveys (GDHS). The trends of determinants of modern contraceptives use among women of reproductive age in Ghana were determined. A bivariate approach was used to select significant predictors. The Cox proportional hazards model analysis was employed via a multilevel modelling approach.

Results: Out of the total respondents of 2229, 2356, and 4469, 18.75%, 15.75% and 21.53% were modern contraceptives users for 2003, 2008 and 2014 respectively. The multiple cox proportional hazards model analysis identified place of residence and the educational level of a woman as strong predictors of modern contraceptives use in Ghana. Modern contraceptive use is increasing among rural residence. Women who are in formal occupations (professional, clerical, services) are more likely to use modern contraceptives than their colleagues in less formal occupations (manual, agricultural, sales).

Conclusion: This study highlights the trends of determinants on modern contraceptive use in Ghana from 2003 to 2014. The most persistent determinants of modern contraceptive use in Ghana during this time period are place of residence and a woman's educational level. Women working in Agriculture and Sales are the least users of modern contraceptives in Ghana over the period.

Keywords: Ghana; Modern contraceptive; Reproductive age; Use of contraceptives; Women.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The Ghana Health Service Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved the study protocol, survey instruments and materials prior to the commencement of the surveys. Individual written consent was obtained during the data collection process for all participants ages 15 to 49. This research analysed a secondary data after an application requesting for the use of the 2003, 2008 and 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey data was sent to the Demographic Health Surveys (DHS) representative. Data was then used after approval was granted.

Consent for publication

Not Applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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