Determinants of contraceptive use among postpartum women in Kisii level 5 hospital, Kisii county

Abstract

Introduction: The high unmet need for family planning in the postpartum period adversely affects the child and mother’s health due to short birth intervals. Unintended pregnancies following child birth are associated with increased risk of maternal mortality, morbidity and poor pregnancy outcomes. Adoption of postpartum family planning is a cost effective way that would reduce maternal and child mortality by 75 percent. Objective: To establish the determinants of contraceptive uptake among postpartum women in Kisii level 5 hospital, Kisii county. Design: This was a cross sectional study carried out in the maternal and child health clinics. Materials and methods: A sample of 365 women who had brought their children for the 2nd dose of measles vaccine was selected. Quantitative data was collected using structured questionnaires and analysis was conducted using SPSS version 20 to determine the relationship between the dependent and the independent variables. Qualitative data collection included Focused group discussions with mothers and in-depth interviews with providers. Key themes were identified. Findings: There prevalence of contraceptive use among postpartum women was 86.3%. Contraceptive use was high among women below 25 years. The significant predictors of contraceptive use were the nature of employment, age and marital status. A woman’s perception of the quality of health influences the adoption of contraceptives. The government facilities in postpartum services are the most reliable providers of contraception in Kisii. Conclusion: Education and economic empowerment of women enables them to be involved in decisions to plan their families.