Social determinants of contraceptive use among young women in Kenya

Sammanfattning: Contraceptive use has far-reaching social and health benefits for women in low and middle-income countries. While socioeconomic factors are known to be associated with contraceptive use, few studies on this topic have focused specifically on young women, whose reproductive health is a target of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Family Planning 2020 agenda. This study used the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey to examine the association between three social determinants (wealth, education, and residence) and two contraceptive outcomes (modern method use and long-acting reversible contraceptive [LARC] use) in women ages 15-24 in 2008-09 (n=3,211 women) and 2014 (n=4,982 women). Results showed increases in the prevalence of modern method use and of LARC use. Low wealth was associated with non-use of LARC methods, and the same wealth pattern emerged for all modern method use between the two timepoints. An education gradient was observed for both outcomes. This study provides some evidence that the urban-rural gap is closing for contraception; however, rural residence continues to be a strong predictor of non-use of LARC methods. Results indicate that continued work is needed to ensure equitable progress in contraceptive use and method choice to contribute to improved reproductive health for young Kenyan women.