Analysis of some factors associated with contraceptive Usage among Kenyan urban women.

Abstract

Abstract This study was necessitated by the lack of baseline information regarding some factors associated with contraception since most information obtained is either out dated, is on subsets of the population or not tested critically examined in previous studies. This study was aimed at providing information regarding contraceptive usage based on a selected background characteristics as well as reproduction characteristics. Age group, marital status, religion and education level were the background characteristics selected whereas reproduction characteristics involved age at first pregnancy, parity, early pregnancy loss as well as stillbirths. Women of reproductive ages 15- 49 years from the major urban areas of Kenya- Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu were observed with data from the Kenya Urban Reproductive Health Initiative survey of 2010 to provide baseline information. A bivariate analysis was carried out for each of the variables with respect to contraceptive usage. Significant variables that made it to the logistic regression model were seven- still births did not. This model was later compared with other models to ensure that the best model was fit. This was done using stepwise selection of variables procedure. The binary logistic model fit revealed that current contraceptive usage is high (68%). Women who had their first pregnancies after the age of 20 years were more likely users of contraceptives when compared with those who had them in their teenage. Women with five children had increased odds of contraceptive usage than those without (OR=15, p=O.OOO). Early pregnancy loss sufferers had a reduced odds of contraceptive usage compared with those never had (OR=O.77, p=0.04). There is need to breakdown early pregnancy loss to examine it as miscarriages and abortions separately and their effect on contraceptive usage. The need to examine how early pregnancy loss and stillbirths differed in terms of contraceptive usage within the larger. There is need to examine parity controlled for desire for more children with respect to contraceptive usage.