Reproductive health decision-making capacity and pregnancy termination among Ghanaian women: Analysis of the 2014 Ghana demographic and health survey |
Authors: |
Abdul-Aziz Seidu, Bright Opoku Ahinkorah, Wonder Agbemavi, Hubert Amu, and Freda Bonsu |
Source: |
Journal of Public Health, Online first; DOI: 10.1007/s10389-019-01105-0 |
Topic(s): |
Contraception Family planning Household decision-making Maternal health Women's autonomy
|
Country: |
Africa
Ghana
|
Published: |
JUN 2019 |
Abstract: |
Aims
This study sought to assess the association between reproductive health decision-making (RDM) capacity and pregnancy termination among women in Ghana.
Methods
Using data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, the study sample inluded 5437 women of reproductive age. Data were extracted and analysed using STATA version 14.2. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses were done to establish the association between the explanatory and outcome variable.
Results
The prevalence of pregnancy termination was 30.4%. Twenty-eight percent (27.7%) of those who had the capacity to make a reproductive health decision had ever terminated a pregnancy. In the multivariate analysis, women who were capable of taking reproductive health decisions, women aged 45–49 (AOR?=?7.3, 95% CI?=?3.772, 14.24) years, women from the Ashanti region (AOR?=?1.414, 95% CI?=?1.095, 1.827), women who were using traditional methods of contraception (AOR?=?1.636, 95% CI?=?1.168, 2.290) and women who watched TV at least once a week (AOR?=?1.332, 95% CI?=?1.111, 1.596) had higher odds of terminating a pregnancy. On the other hand, women who had a higher level of education (AOR?=?0.682, 95% CI?=?0.467, 0.946) and women with 4+ (AOR?=?0.441, 95% CI?=?0.323, 0.602) children had lower odds of terminating pregnancies.
Conclusion
RDM capacity, region, contraceptive use and intention, media exposure, level of education and parity are associated with pregnancy termination among Ghanaian women. To reduce pregnancy termination, regular integrated community-based outreach programmes targeted at generating community awareness of the effectiveness of modern contraception in prevention of unintended pregnancy are needed. Such efforts will go a long way toward reducing unintended pregnancy and subsequently bringing about reductions in induced abortion.
Keywords
Ghana Pregnancy termination Reproductive health decision-making Women |
|