Title: Socio-economic inequalities in modern contraceptive use among women in Benin: a
decomposition analysis
Version: 1 Date: 22 Mar 2023
Reviewer:  Muyiwa Oladosun
Reviewer's report:
This is a very promising and interesting manuscript with potential to contribute to SDG 3 in a
high fertility regime like Benin.  The following are suggestions to improve its quality.
ABSTRACT
1. This seems a little too long. It should be reduced to maximum half a page if possible.
2. The conclusion should speak more to the implications of your study to policy, programming,
and SDGs 3 and 5 attainment in Benin.
BACKGROUND
3. Are you using “contemporary contraceptives” and “modern contraceptives” interchangeably?
Please clarify the meanings of the two concepts whether they are the same or not based on the
literature as your guide/reference. (page 4)
4. Provide more information on STROBE, and how it influenced the writing of your paper.
(page 5)
METHODS
5. Wealth index classification: Is this according to the DHS standard classification of wealth
status or your own? If your own, how is this a better measure than that of the DHS? Otherwise,
state that you have used DHS constructed wealth index. (page 5)
RESULTS
6. Also, show unweighted and weighted distributions side by side so that the reader can make
easy comparison. (page 8-9)
7. In your table 1, some percents are too skewed and may cause fluctuations/noise in your
models. You may need to recode some variables to reduce this effect. Your models are
likely to produce better outcomes if the following predictors of modern contraceptive use
are recoded (based on conceptual understanding) as follows: -- 1. Marital status, combine--
not married/widowed/divorced; 2. Religious affiliation, combine-- traditional/no religion; and
Mother’s education, combine secondary/higher. The recoded variables should apply only to the
multivariate analysis not your bivariate or univariate analysis. Likewise, use unweighted data
for the multivariate stages of analysis. (page 9)
8. Your two figures have no titles, kindly edit accordingly.
DISCUSSION
9. Contextualize or situate your discussion based on sufficient and relevant literature.  For
example, good point on the “large body of literature in SSA”?  Just one reference? (page 13)
10. Is there any suggestion on how to decompose inequality in modern contraceptive use
based on these contributing factors (transportation cost, facility fees, prescription/supply prices,
psycho-social cost etc)? (page 14)
STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS
11.  Your main strength is decomposition of modern contraception inequality using CIX. Quite
surprised that you did not mention this here. Please, make it the main strength. (page 15)
12. Residence is a factor under socio-demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, so what is
geographic about this study that is not captured already? You may do well to delete “geographic”
or “geographical” from your manuscript or else clearly explain what they represent. (page 15)
CONCLUSIONS
13. Concentration of inequality in modern contraceptive use among poor women is not well
reflected in your discussion and conclusions i.e., implications for policy and programming. (page
15)
14. Correct typos and edits throughout your manuscript as applied/suggested.
REFERENCES
15. Check for completed of some references. (pages 17-19)