Having a Say Matters: Influence of Decision-Making Power on Contraceptive Use among Nigerian Women Ages 35-49 Years

Funmilola OlaOlorun, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Michelle J. Hindin, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Women ages 35 and older are often left out of the conversation on contraception. Secondary data analyses were conducted using the 2008 Nigeria Demographic Health Survey to: (1) describe the profile of women ages 35-49 years who were current modern contraceptive users; (2) compare household decision-making power among modern contraceptive users and non-users; and (3) examine the influence of women’s decision-making power on current modern contraceptive use among Nigerian women ages 35-49 years. The sample consisted of 4827 married/cohabiting women ages 35-49 years. Contraceptive users reported more involvement in decision-making in each of six domains, when compared with non-users. Following multivariate logistic regression, decision-making power remained independently associated with modern contraceptive use, after adjusting for potential confounders. Women who had the most decision-making power had 70% higher odds of modern contraceptive use when compared with women who had the least power [aOR(95%CI): 1.70(1.31, 2.21)].