Association between selected sociodemographic factors and traditional contraceptive use in Uganda

Abstract

The objective of the study was to examine the association between selected socio-demographic factors and traditional contraceptive use in Uganda. To assess the level of knowledge of traditional contraceptive use, to examine the relationship between woman’s education and traditional contraceptive use, to evaluate the association between place of residence and traditional contraceptive use and to examine the association between woman’s age and traditional contraceptive use.

The research methodology entirely used secondary data extracted from 2011 Uganda Demographic Health Survey. The data set used was specifically for women in the reproductive ages with a sample of about 2049 women enumerated during the 2011 demographic health survey.

The study revealed that the biggest number of respondents who used traditional contraceptives were in the age group 35-49 with a percentage of 12.3% compared to other age groups and factors like region, marital status, education and wealth status of the respondent were significant with traditional contraceptive use in Uganda. However, factors like residence and age of the respondent didn’t show any association with traditional contraceptive use.

The conclusion is that education affects contraceptive use. The relationship shows that respondents with primary education have ever had about traditional contraceptive use and contributed the highest proportion.

It is recommended that possible measures and strategies be undertaken by the Government and responsible Stakeholders like Non-Government organizations and donors to drastically design the current family planning programs to answer specifically to the doubts and misconceptions in the minds of most women, more so the educated women who see the effects of modern high contraceptives compared to their advantages and also scale up the use of other methods other than traditional methods.