Abstract:
Background: Long-acting family planning methods (LAFPMs) are modern contraceptive
methods that can prevent pregnancy for greater than or equal to three years per application
which include long-acting reversible contraceptive methods (implant, and intrauterine device),
and permanent contraceptive methods(vasectomy, and tubal ligation). The objective of this study
was to assess factors associated with long-acting family planning utilization among married
women of the reproductive age group in Ethiopia.
Methods: EDHS-2016 conducted by the Ethiopian Central Statistical Agency (CSA) and other
aid organizations were used as a source of data for this study. The study included a total of 5193
married women (weighted = 5153) of age 15-49 years who were not pregnant and not in-fecund
at the time of the survey. A multilevel multinomial logistic model was used to identify factors
associated with the utilization of LAFPMs. SPSS Version 21 and Stata 14 were used for data
management in a meaningful form of the data. In addition, the PROC GLIMMIX procedure in
SAS version 9.2, and ArcGIS Version 10.4.1 was used to do statistical analysis.
Results: For this study, the prevalence of utilization of LAFPMs among married women was
found 16.9 %( 3.7% of IUD, 12.8% of Implant, and 0.4% of Female sterilization) in Ethiopia.
The mean age of women in the study was 30.7 years with a larger proportion of women falling in
the age group of 25-34 years. The multilevel multinomial model with spatial effect was the best
model to fit the data well. The utilization of LAFPMs varied across the communities in Ethiopia.
Therefore, about 72.7%, and 30.8% of the variation at the community level in the utilization of
the IUD method, and the Implant method among reproductive women across the cluster are
explained by all predictors respectively. Some of the statistically significant variables were the
age of respondents, radio access, desire for more children, wealth index, and place of residence
Conclusion: This study revealed that the use of LAFPMs among married women varied across
the communities. A higher prevalence rate for the utilization of LAFPMs was found in southwest
and east of Amhara, west Benishangul Gumuz, northeast SNNPR, and northeast of Tigray. In
contrast, a lower prevalence rate was found in Somalia, Hareri, Afar, Gambela, and Dire Dawa.
The married women visited by fieldworkers, didn’t face a big problem to access health facilities,
have radio access and current working status were positively motivated to use LAFPMs.