Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Intimate Partner Violence as a factor in Contraceptive Discontinuation among Sexually  
Active Married Women in Nigeria  
 
Version: 1 Date: 26 Feb 2020  
 
Reviewer: chidebe Anikwe  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
Dear editor,  
 
The author has done a good job and I am satisfied with his responses to my previous worries. 
Apart from few errors in English and its semantics, below are my observations for his 
consideration.  
 
 'Not working occupation' - consider -- not working or unemployed status  
 
'Findings' consider The study has revealed….  
 
'An increase by as much as two percentage points per year in CPR for modern contraceptive 
methods has been canvassed via family planning'   Which region or country ? 
 
'Nevertheless, the percentage of currently married women (15 -49) who are currently using a 
method of contraception is very low in the country [6]. The overall prevalence rate of 
contraceptives among Nigerian women is 15%; showing an increaseof only two percentage 
points between 2003 and 2013 [5] (see Table 1). This increase is far below the expected set 
target of raising CPR to 36% by the year 2018 [6]' Which region or country? Rephrase please  
 
'Substantial body of literature'…… substantial body of liter ature for just two references modify  
 
'Shown a great proportion of Nigerian women who want to avoid pregnancies and/or postpone 
births but are not using contraceptives [5, 6]. Many contraceptive users have stopped using 
contraceptive without switching to a nother method [7]. However, the majority of the stoppages 
are not driven by the desire to be pregnant (7). Many at times, discontinuations are often lead to 
unintended pregnancies [8]. Contraceptive stoppage while women are still at the risk of 
unintended pregnancy have negative reproductive health consequences [9, 10]' - Please rephrase. 
If understood the Author very well, i think he is trying to convey the fact that unmet need for 
contraception is high in Nigeria and many women have stopped using any meth od and therefore 
prone to unwanted pregnancy with its complications. Please use few sentences to convey the 
fact......Restructure  
  
'Between 3% and 8% of contraceptive users discontinued in order to become pregnant [14]' - 
Does not flow. Is there anything  wrong in discontinuing to become pregnancy? What is 
premature discontinuation of contraceptive?  
'This implies that a majority of the contraceptive discontinuation is premature [16].' How?  
 
'In spite of the well -established association between socioeconomic and demographic  
factors and contraceptive discontinuation….'  Any reference  
 
'Despite this, IPV may have motivated some women who experienced it IPV to avoid pregnancy 
in one way or the ot her, particularly if they have access to unnoticeable use contraceptive 
methods of contraception that can be used secretly (27, 30, 33)'   How history of IPV motivates a 
woman to use contraceptive?  
 
'Thus, it is against this background that this study aime d at examining study aimed' …… seems a 
word is missing between STUDY AIMED  
 
'EA' what is ED?  
 
'In the multivariate analysis, a binary logistic regression…….'   Is multivariate analysis 
synonymous with binary logit regression?  
 
'Only 20.11% discontinued con traceptive method while at RISK …..'  Risk of pregnancy  
 
'Table 2 presents the adjusted odds   ,,,,,,,,,,,'  Table 2 is different, please check  
'As expected, women with a higher number of living children have higher odds of contraceptive 
discontinuation wh ile still at risk of becoming pregnant than women with lower or no living 
children'   Why? Adduce reason  
 
'The study found that women with more than five living children have marginally 1% greater 
odds (aOR=0.01, p &lt;0.01) than women with no living child.  Similarly, women with one to four 
(1-4) living children have marginally 2% greater odds (aOR=0.02, p &lt;0.01) than women with 
no living child. The fact that these were significant predictors complements several previous 
studies [10, 15] …….' Why? It is op posite of what one might expect but why. Any possible 
explanation  
 
'This contradicts a study finding) which found the lowest odds of contraceptive discontinuation 
while at risk of becoming pregnant among women who have been married longer compared to 
coupl es who have been married less than five years [10]' …..  Restructure  
 
'One possible explanation for this could be that women who have been married for more than 30  
years are more likely to have a better experience on how to avoid pregnancy than those who have 
been married for less than four years' …… Although difficult to explain, however....inertia, side -
effect, fear of complication etc might account for it. Those with less no of children is likely to be 
younger with academic/carrier pursuit therefore not  likely to discontinue.......etc  
  
cca 
 
 
 
Are the methods ap propriate 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.  
 
Unable to assess  
 
Are the conclusions drawn 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 additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
Not relevant to this manuscript  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscr ipt: 
 
Acceptable  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
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  
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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 n ow or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
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4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating t o the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
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below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
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