Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Family Planning Use and Associated Factors amon g Pastoralist Community of Afar 
region,  Eastern Ethiopia  
 
Version: 0 Date: 10 Jan 2016  
 
Reviewer: Makeda Sinaga  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
General comment  
 
* The paper has addressed a very problems of public health importance in the pastoralist 
community, however there are some issues that are not clear need to be addressed by the authors.  
 
 
* There are editorial problems that need to be addressed before the paper is published.  
Title  
 
 
* The title has discrepancy in the different parts of the document, I suggest the author to use the 
second one  
 
o Very Low Ut ilization of Family Planning Use in Pastoralist Community of Afar region, 
Eastern Ethiopia  
 
o Family Planning Use and Associated factors among Pastoralist Community of Afar region, 
Eastern Ethiopia   
 
 
 
Abstract  
Background  
* This study aimed to assess family p lanning, utilization and associated factors among married 
women of Afar region, Eastern Ethiopia.  
 
 
* Why only married women? Why others are excluded from the sample? What about cohabiting 
couples and unmarried women?  
 
 
* The most common reasons mentioned in t he non -use of family planning methods where 
religion -related .Change' where by were'  
 
 
Methods  
* Descriptive and multiple logistic regression analyses were done" to estimate indicators and 
effect sizes of the predictors" - be replaced by "to isolate independ ent predictors"  
 
 
Results  
* The rise of monthly income - replace by the increase in monthly income.  
 
 
Introduction -the last part of the paragraph does not show whether there is lack of information on 
a family planning use and associated factors.so what is thi s study contributing more than what 
the DHS has provided ?This needs to be justified here .  
 
 
Methods  
* Systematic random sampling -be replace by systematic sampling  
* How was the first woman selected?  
 
 
Data analysis  
 
* How was knowledge measured? It just appeared in the results.  
 
* How were the attitude questions framed?  
 
* "Attitude was defined as "positive" and "negative" if a woman answered above and below the 
average of the aggregate value of attitude questions, resp ectively". Why was the mean taken as a  
cut- off point? Does not this lead to misclassification? Why mean? Was it normally distributed?  
 
* How was the practice measured? Nothing was stated in the methods.  
 
 
 
Results  
* Determinants of family planning, utilizati on-is the same as associated factors? Can we measure 
determinants from cross -sectional studies like this one?  
 
* How was the monthly income quintiles determined? There is nothing stated in the methods.  
 
 
* The practical implications of low family p lanning utilization in the light of the national (HSTP) 
and the global (SDG) targets is not discussed .   
 
 
References  
Authors have used many gray literatures but, they are not traceable as they do not have URL and 
data accessed.  
 
 
Are the methods appropriate  and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions draw n adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an a dditional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Not suitable for publication unless extensively edited  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following qu estions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial com peting interests in relation to this paper?  
 
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  
If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
i have no competing interest  
 
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on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report  
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I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal