Prevalence and factors associated with intention to use contraceptives among women of reproductive age: a multilevel analysis of the 2018 Guinea demographic and health survey

Contraceptive use is a key indicator of improving the health and well-being of women, mothers and their families, preventing unwanted pregnancies, and reducing maternal and child mortalities. Despite a lot of investments from the Government of Guinea to improve contraceptive use, studies reveal that contraceptive use still remains low in Guinea. However, the intention to use contraceptives in Guinea has not been well examined. Therefore, this study seeks to examine the factors associated with the intention to use contraceptives among women of reproductive age in Guinea.

The study made use of data from the Guinea Demographic and Health Survey (GNDHS) conducted in 2018. For this study, we included a weighted sample of 6,948 women who were either married or cohabiting and responded to all the variables of interest. The data were analyzed using Stata version 14.2. Descriptive and multilevel logistic regression were carried out to examine the factors associated with the intention to use contraceptives. The results of multilevel logistic regression were presented using adjusted odds ratios at 95% confidence intervals and p-value < 0.05 to determine the significant associations.

The prevalence of intention-to-use contraceptives among women was 19.8% (95% CI18.3%–21.5%). Women with secondary/higher educational levels [aOR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.26–1.99], women whose partners had secondary/higher educational level [aOR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.04–1.52], women who were cohabiting [aOR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.13–2.68] and were exposed to mass media [aOR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.35–1.89] were likely to have higher intentions to use contraceptives. Additionally, women from the Kankan Region [aOR = 4.26, 95% CI = 2.77–6.54] and women who belong to the richer wealth quintile [aOR = 1.36, 95% CI = 0.91–1.89] were likely to have higher odds of intentions to use contraceptives. However, women aged 45–49 years, those from the Peulh ethnic group, and those who lack the competence to make healthcare decisions alone had lower odds of intention to use contraceptives.

The study revealed a low prevalence of intention to use contraceptives among women of reproductive age in Guinea. The study has highlighted that both individual-level and household/community-level factors were significantly associated with the intention to use contraceptives. Therefore, policymakers and stakeholders need to consider these factors discussed in this paper when developing policies and interventions to promote and enhance intention-to-use contraceptives among women of reproductive age in Guinea. The findings call on the Government of Guinea and all stakeholders in Guinea to ensure that female education is promoted to help improve their social status, decision-making on fertility, and reduce fertility rates and maternal mortality.