Factors associated with family planning use among women in Karamoja region

Abstract

Despite increased use of contraceptives throughout the world most especially in developed countries, some developing countries still have very low levels of contraceptive use and Uganda in particular is not an exception. This study was aimed at assessing the factors associated with family planning use among women in karamoja region. It explored the reasons for the low use of family planning methods in karamoja. The 2016 Uganda Demographic and health survey data particularly Uganda Individual Record (UGIR) female file was used. The study population comprised a sample of 741 women of reproductive age 15-49 from karamoja. Cross tabulations and logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with use of family planning methods. Though people are to a larger extent aware of the various family planning methods in karamoja region, only a few of them had actually used family planning methods by the time of the survey that is only 7 percent (UDHS 2016). From the analysis, it was found out that the use of contraception is influenced by a number of factors such as education, total children ever born and wealth status. The study also revealed that there is low contraceptive use though there was awareness of contraceptive methods. There is need for the government to initiate income generating activities for poor women aiming at improving their economic status so that they can be able to afford contraceptive methods of their choice, promoting of girl child education through improving on Universal Primary/Secondary education in the region, provision of scholarships and incorporation of sexual and reproductive health in the education curriculum which provides them with knowledge and skills, sensitization of women with or without children to use family planning to space their children or to have children when they need them for the objectives of family planning to be realized.