DEMOGRAPHIC

AND

HEALTH

SURVEYS

DHS WORKING PAPERS

2014 No. 103

Abebaw Gebeyehu Worku 

Gizachew Assefa Tessema

Atinkut Alamirrew Zeleke

August 2014

This document was produced for review by the United States Agency for 

International Development.

Trends and Determinants of Contraceptive 

Use among Young Married Women (Age 

15-24) Based on the 2000, 2005, and 2011 

Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys: 

A Multivariate Decomposition Analysis

Trends and Determinants of Contraceptive Use among Young Married Women (Age 15-24) 

Based on the 2000, 2005, and 2011 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Surveys: 

A Multivariate Decomposition Analysis 

Abebaw Gebeyehu Worku 1

Gizachew Assefa Tessema 1

Atinkut Alamirrew Zeleke 2

ICF International 

Rockville, Maryland, USA 

August 2014 

1 Department of Reproductive Health, Institute of Public Health, University of Gondar 

2 Department of Health Informatics, Institute of Public Health, University of Gondar 

Corresponding author: Abebaw Gebeyehu Worku, Institute of Public Health, University of Gondar; Email: 

abebawgebeyehu@yahoo.com or gabebaw2worku@gmail.com
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

We would like to thank ICF International and USAID for their financial and technical 

support. Our special gratitude goes to Sarah Staveteig, Wenjuan Wang, and Yohannes Dibaba for 

their unceasing support throughout the preparation of this manuscript. We would like to extend 

our appreciation to Kerry MacQuarrie for detailed review and comments that substantially 

improved the document. We would also like to appreciate Bryant Robey for editing; Shireen 

Assaf for the assistance in checking numbers in the document; and Yuan Cheng for formatting. 

Lastly, we would like to acknowledge our university, University of Gondar, for giving us 

permission to be involved in the workshops. 

The DHS Working Papers series is an unreviewed prepublication series of papers reporting on research in 

progress that is based on Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) data. This research is carried out with 

support provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through The DHS 

Program (AID-OAA-C-13-00095). The views expressed are those of the authors and do not 

necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. 

The DHS Program assists countries worldwide in the collection and use of data to monitor and evaluate 

population, health, and nutrition programs. For additional information about the DHS Program contact: 

DHS Program, ICF International, 530 Gaither Road, Suite 500, Rockville, MD 20850, USA. Phone: +1 

301-407-6500; Fax: +1 301-407-6501; Email: reports@dhsprogram.com; Internet: 

www.dhsprogram.com. 
ABSTRACT 

Accessing family planning can reduce a significant proportion of maternal, infant, and 

childhood deaths. In Ethiopia, use of modern contraceptive methods is low but is increasing. 

This study aimed to analyze the levels, trends, and determinants of modern contraceptive use and 

changes over time among young married women in Ethiopia. 

The study used data from the three Demographic Health Surveys (DHS) conducted in 

Ethiopia, in 2000, 2005, and 2011. Non-pregnant, young married women age 15-24 were 

included in the final samples, for sample sizes of 2,157 in 2000, 1,904 in 2005, and 2,146 in 

2011. The major statistical techniques used were logistic regression for analysis of determinants 

of current contraceptive use and logit-based decomposition analysis of factors contributing to the 

recent changes. STATA 12 was employed for data management and analyses. All calculations 

presented in this paper were weighted for the sampling probabilities and non-response. Complex 

sampling procedures were also considered during testing of statistical significance. 

Among young married women, modern contraceptive prevalence increased from 6% in 

2000 to 16% in 2005 and to 36% in 2011. The study found that young women’s wealth status, 

age, religion, education, family size concordance with husbands, and fertility preference for 

spacing or limiting births were significantly associated with their use of modern contraception. 

The decomposition analysis indicated that about a third of the overall change in modern 

contraceptive use was due to difference in women’s characteristics. For this component, changes 

in women’s age, educational status, religion, family size concordance, and fertility preference 

were significantly associated with change in modern contraceptive use. Particularly, an increase 

in women’s attainment of primary and above education accounted for about a tenth of the change 

in modern contraceptive use over the study period. 

About two-thirds of the increase in contraceptive use was due to difference in 

coefficients. Change in contraceptive use behavior among the rural population and among 

Orthodox Christians and Protestants showed a significant contribution to the increase. Other 

things being constant, about a third of the increase in modern contraceptive use in the past 

decade was due to change in contraceptive use behavior among the rural population. 
 Programmatic interventions targeting poor, younger (adolescent), illiterate, and Muslim 

women would help to maintain the increasing trend in contraceptive use among young women in 

Ethiopia. 

Keywords: Modern contraceptive use, young women, DHS, decomposition, Ethiopia 
1 

INTRODUCTION 

Ethiopia is one of three countries (along with Malawi and Rwanda) in sub-Saharan Africa 

that have achieved a much more rapid increase in the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) than 

any other countries in the region in the last 10 years, according to an analysis of modern 

contraceptive prevalence in recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) (USAID/Africa 

Bureau 2011). Modern family planning service in Ethiopia was pioneered by the Family 

Guidance Association (FGAE), established in 1966 (FMOH 2011). After 1980, the Ministry of 

Health expanded its family planning services with country support programs by United Nations 

Population Fund (UNFPA) and other stakeholders. 

With the adoption of the population policy in 1993 (Transitional Government of Ethiopia 

1993), numerous local and international family planning organizations have partnered with the 

government in expanding family planning programs and services. In 1996, the Ministry of 

Health released Guidelines for Family Planning Services in Ethiopia to guide health providers 

and managers, as well as to expand and ensure quality family planning services in the country 

(FMOH 2011). Since 2002, the Government of Ethiopia and non-governmental organizations 

(NGOs) have expanded community-based distribution of family planning services through health 

extension programs. The government has removed all duty and taxes on imported contraceptives 

since family planning is considered key for the country’s development (USAID/Africa Bureau 

2011). The Ministry of Health also developed a youth reproductive strategy in 2006 to address 

the increasing needs of the youth population. About a quarter of women in Ethiopia are 

teenagers. 

Family planning is a key investment in reducing the broader costs of health care (Singh 

and Darroch 2012) and reducing risks associated with pregnancy and childbirth. Accessing 

family planning can reduce maternal deaths by 40% (Ahmed et al. 2012; Cleland et al. 2012), 

infant mortality by 10%, and childhood mortality by 21% (Cleland et al. 2012). In Ethiopia every 

dollar invested in family planning has shown two dollars of savings in other development areas 

(Cleland et al. 2006; Population Action International 2013). It is well known that reproductive 

choices made by young women and men have an enormous impact on their prospects for health, 

schooling, and employment, as well as their overall transition to adulthood (Hogan et al. 2010; 

World Bank 2007, 2010). If adolescents become pregnant, they will have increased risk of 
2 

medical complications that might result in infant or maternal death (Rama Rao et al. 2003). The 

risk is much higher when pregnancy is unintended. Most pregnancies to young girls in subSaharan Africa are unintended or mistimed (Cleland, Ali, and Shah 2006). In Ethiopia, 28% of 

adolescents age 15-19 and 24% of young women age 20-24 have had unintended pregnancies 

(Central Statistical Agency [Ethiopia] and ICF International 2012). 

Worldwide, contraceptive prevalence increased from 55% in 1990 to 63% in 2010. In 

turn, unmet need for family planning decreased from 15% in 1990 to 12% in 2010 (Alkema et al. 

2013). The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that the highest contraceptive 

prevalence is in Asia and Latin America, whereas sub-Saharan African countries have the lowest 

contraceptive prevalence (WHO 2013). According to the World Bank, the average CPR in subSaharan Africa is 21% (World Bank 2010). Countries in East Africa have observed a greater 

increase in modern contraceptive use than countries in West and Central Africa (Emina, Chirwa, 

and Kandala 2014). For example, modern contraceptive use increased in Malawi from 26% in 

2004 to 42% in 2012 (Chintsanya 2013) and in Rwanda from 10% in 2005 to 45% in 2010, but 

in Ghana only from 13% in 1998 to 17% in 2008 (ICF International 2012). In Ethiopia, the 

change was from 8% in 2000 to 29% in 2011(UNFPA 2012). 

Studies indicate that in Ethiopia women in the richest household wealth quintile, 

educated women, employed women, urban women, and women who follow the Christian 

religion tend to use modern contraception more than other women (Lakew et al. 2013; 

Mekonnen and Worku 2011; UNFPA 2012). Moreover, having a higher number of living 

children (Mohammed et al. 2014), being in a monogamous relationship, having family size 

concordance (couple’s agreement on family size), desire to limit or space births, attending 

community conversation, and being visited by health workers at home have been identified as 

determinants of modern contraceptive use (Lakew et al. 2013; UNFPA 2012). 

Researchers have conducted decomposition analyses to understand and explain the 

sources of changes in the use of contraception in recent decades. A study in Cameroon showed 

that between 1991 and 2004 more than 37% of the change in contraceptive use was due to 

coefficients. However, compositional changes contributed more (45%) to the increase in modern 

contraceptive use. Improvements in husbands’ positive attitudes toward contraceptive use, 
3 

secondary school education, and couple’s discussion on contraceptive use contributed the most 

to increases in contraceptive use (Pillai and Teboh 2011). 

In a study in Rwanda, about three-quarters (78%) of the change in contraceptive use 

between 2005 and 2010 was due to changes in effects of women’s characteristics, particularly 

women’s education and place of residence (Muhoza, Rutayisire, and Umubyeyi 2013). A study 

in Ethiopia using decomposition analysis showed that 69% of the change in contraceptive use 

during the period 2000-2011 was attributable to compositional changes, and about 23% of the 

overall contraceptive increase was attributable to changes in coefficients. The change was mainly 

due to an increase in the effects of religion, experience of child death, ideal family size, and 

working for pay among women (UNFPA 2012). 

According to our review of the literature, contraceptive prevalence is still low in Ethiopia 

but is steadily increasing, both among all women age 15-49 and among young women age 15-24. 

As mentioned earlier, young women, especially adolescents, are at higher risk of morbidity and 

mortality associated with pregnancy and childbirth. Identifying the contributing factors to the 

changes in contraceptive use among women age 15-24 helps to improve young women’s 

contraceptive use. The increasing trend in contraceptive use could be due to the current changes 

in population composition, including urbanization, education of girls, and other development 

activities, or it could be due to changes in contraceptive behavior. Therefore, investigating the 

major factors contributing to such a dramatic change helps to plan strategies for family planning 

programs. Hence, this study analyzed the levels, trends, and determinants of modern 

contraceptive use and change among young married women in Ethiopia. 
4 

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 

Figure 1 shows the conceptual framework for this study, based on the reviewed literature. 

The determinant variables are classified in three major categories: women’s socio-demographic 

characteristics, fertility preference and decision-making, and family planning program exposure. 

As the diagram depicts, the determinants are linked to each other and affect both modern 

contraceptive use and the changes overtime. The change in modern contraceptive use has two 

major components: change in composition and change in effects. Based on this conceptual 

framework, the analysis evaluated the effects of the outlined determinants on modern 

contraceptive use, as well as the changes that occurred in the last 10 years. 

Figure 1. Conceptual framework 

Socio-demographic characteristics 

Age 

Residence 

Region 

Religion

Educational status 

Husband/partner education status 

Employment 

Wealth index 

Modern contraceptive 

use 

Change in modern 

contraceptive use 

Fertility preference and decisionmaking 

Number of living children 

Family size concordance 

Desire to have children 

Women’s decision-making 

Family Planning (FP) program exposure 

Knowledge of contraceptives 

Visited by health worker who told about FP 

FP media exposure 
5 

Research Questions 

The increasing need for contraceptive services among the young population in Ethiopia 

and the consequences of non-use of contraception warrant answers to several important research 

questions surrounding determinants of contraceptive use and changes in use over time: 

1. What are the levels and trends in contraceptive use among young married women age 

15-24 in Ethiopia over a 10-year period? 

2. What are the factors associated with contraceptive use among currently married 

young women age 15-24 in Ethiopia? 

3. What are the main factors contributing to the recent changes in contraceptive use 

among young married women in Ethiopia? 

Hypotheses 

1. There has been significant change in the use of contraception among young married 

women in the past 10 years. 

2. Different factors (residence, education, region, wealth index, media access) affect 

contraceptive use among the study group. 

3. The increase in contraceptive use in Ethiopia between 2000 and 2011 can be 

explained by the compositional change in women’s characteristics. 
6 

DATA AND METHODS 

Data 

The data for this study were accessed from the DHS program official database, after 

permission was granted through an online request explaining the objective of our study. The 

DHS collects data through nationally representative cross-sectional surveys in over 40 

developing countries. The survey is usually conducted at five-year intervals in a country. 

Ethiopia has undertaken three consecutive DHS surveys, in 2000, 2005, and 2011. 

In this study, our data are restricted to married and non-pregnant women age 15-24. 

Based on these criteria, our sample sizes from the three Ethiopian Demographic and Health 

Surveys (EDHS) were 1,990 women in 2000, 1,877 in 2005, and 2,167 in 2011 (Figure 2). 

Figure 2. The exclusion procedures to identify the final sample size 

 EDHS 2000, N=15,367 EDHS 2005, N=14,070 EDHS 2011, N=16,515 

Women of reproductive age (15-49) 

Exclusion criteria 

1. Women not married 

2. Age >25 years 

3. Pregnant at the time of 

the survey 

EDHS 2000 

N=1,990 (unweighted) 

= 2,157 (weighted) 

EDHS 2005 

N=1,877 (unweighted) 

=1,904 (weighted) 

EDHS 2011 

N=2,167 (unweighted) 

= 2,146 (weighted) 

Final sample for the three EDHS 
7 

Key Variables and Measurements 

The study variables were classified into dependent and independent variables. The 

dependent variable was current modern contraceptive use, categorized dichotomously as a 

“Yes/No” variable. Respondents who were currently using a modern contraceptive method were 

categorized as “Yes,” otherwise as “No.” 

The key independent variables were the following: 

Socio-demographic variables 

Socio-demographic factors can affect contraceptive use in different ways. For instance, 

more educated women, urban residents, and those in the richest quintile are generally more likely 

to use contraceptives. In addition, changes in the composition of the population for sociodemographic characteristics or changes in their effects could lead to an improvement in 

contraceptive use over time. The variables included in this category were age [15-19, 20-24], 

residence [rural, urban], region, religion [Orthodox, Muslim, Protestant, others], wealth index 

[poorest, poorer, middle, richer, richest], women’s education [no education, primary, secondary 

and above], partner’s education [no education, primary, secondary and above], working status 

[not working, working but not paid/paid in kind, paid in cash], and number of living children [0, 

1, 2, 3+]. 

Fertility preference and decision-making 

The literature suggests that family planning size concordance—couples agreement on 

family size—would affect women’s contraceptive use. When a husband wants more children, the 

wife might not use contraception due to gender influence. Women’s decision-making ability 

might have a positive influence on their contraceptive use. In addition, fertility preference in the 

timing of births affects women’s contraceptive use. We also expect that there have been 

behavioral changes based on these variables that have affected contraceptive use over the last 

decade. The following operational definitions were applied to these variables: family planning 

size concordance [both want the same, husband wants more, husband wants fewer, do not 

know/missing]; women’s participation in decision-making [not participated, participated]; and 

fertility preference [wants soon, wants later, wants no more].
8 

Family planning program exposure 

It is known that having previous exposure to family planning services and being 

knowledgeable about family planning increase contraceptive use. For this study, two variables 

were considered and defined in the following way: Family planning media exposure was taken 

when respondents heard about family planning on radio or television, or read about it in a 

newspaper. If not, they were considered as not having family planning media exposure. 

Moreover, when women are visited by health providers, including family planning workers, they 

can be encouraged to consider contraception in case they wanted to do so. For the study, being 

visited by family planning workers in the last 12 months was dichotomized as “Yes” and “No.” 

Similarly, knowing about different contraceptive methods is likely to have a positive effect on 

contraceptive use. Thus, in the study being knowledgeable about family planning was classified 

as “Yes” for knowledgeable and “No” for non-knowledgeable. 
9 

STATISTICAL ANALYSES 

This study employed descriptive and trend analysis of modern contraceptive use, 

examination of the determinants of use, and decomposition of changes in modern contraceptive 

use. The trend in modern contraceptive use was analyzed using descriptive analyses, stratified by 

region, urban-rural residence, and selected socio-demographic characteristics. The trend was 

examined separately for the periods 2000-2005, 2005-2011, and 2000-2011. 

Logistic regression analysis was also done to identify the determinants of contraceptive 

use among young married women, using data from the 2011 EDHS. Complex sample survey 

methodology was considered during analysis. Hence, the study adjusted for the effects of 

clustering due to sampling procedures and non-response. 

Multivariate decomposition analysis of change in modern contraceptive use was 

employed to answer the major research question of this study. The analysis was a regression 

decomposition of the difference in modern contraceptive use between two surveys. The purpose 

of the decomposition analysis was to identify the sources of changes in the use of contraception 

in the last decade. Both changes in population composition and population behavior related to 

contraceptive use (effect) are important. This method is used for several purposes in 

demography, economics, and other fields. The present analysis focused on how use of 

contraception responds to changes in women’s characteristics and how these factors shape 

differences across surveys conducted at different times. 

The technique utilizes the output from a logistic regression model to parcel out the 

observed difference in contraceptive use into components. This difference can be attributed to 

compositional changes between surveys (i.e. differences in characteristics) and to changes in 

effects of the selected explanatory variables (i.e. differences in the coefficients due to changes in 

population behavior). Hence, the observed difference in modern contraceptive use between 

different surveys is additively decomposed into a characteristics (or endowments) component 

and a coefficient (or effects of characteristics) component. 

For linear relations, the dependent variable is a function of a linear combination of 

predictors and regression coefficients, where: 
10 

Y = F(Xβ) where Y denotes the N x 1 dependent variable, X is an N x K matrix of 

independent variables, and β is a K x 1 vector of coefficients, where A and B represent DHS 

2011 and 2000 respectively. 

The mean difference in Y between groups A and B can be decomposed as: 

YA − YB = F(XAβA) - F(XBβB) 

For our logistic regression, the logit or log-odds of modern contraceptive use is taken as: 

Logit (A) - Logit (B) = F(XAβA) - F(XBβB) 

 = [F(XAβA) - F(XBβA)] + [F(XBβA) - F(XBβB] 

 

The E component refers to the part of the differential owing to differences in endowments 

or characteristics. The C component refers to that part of the differential attributable to 

differences in coefficients or effects. 

The equation can be presented as: 

Logit (A) - Logit (B) = [β0A - β0B] + ΣXijB * [βijA- βijB ] + ΣβijB * [XijA - XijB]

- XijB is the proportion of the jth category of the ith determinant in the DHS 2000, 

- XijA is the proportion of the jth category of the ith determinant in DHS 2011, 

- βijBis the coefficient of the jth category of the ith determinant in DHS 2000, 

- βijA is the coefficient of the jth category of the ith determinant in DHS 2011, 

- β0B is the intercept in the regression equation fitted to DHS 2000, and 

- β0A is the intercept in the regression equation fitted to DHS 2011. 

Data Analysis Software 

STATA 12 was employed for data management and analyses. STATA commands were 

applied during the process of analysis. All calculations presented in this paper were weighted for 

the sampling probabilities and non-response. During testing of statistical significance or 

associations (95% confidence interval calculations), complex sampling procedures were 

considered. 

 E C
11 

RESULTS 

Characteristics of the Study Population 

Table 1 presents the characteristics of respondents (married women age 15-24) over the 

three EDHS periods. Among the respondents, about seven out of 10 in all three surveys were age 

20-24. In terms of residence, in 2000 and 2005, 10% of respondents resided in urban areas, 

increasing to 18% in 2011. With regard to educational status, in the first two surveys about threequarters (79% in 2000 and 74% in 2005) were not educated, while in EDHS 2011 only 49% were 

not educated. The proportion with primary education rose from 15% in 2000 to 41% in 2011. 

Across the three DHS surveys, the proportion of Orthodox Christians showed a slight 

decline, from 52% to 47% between 2000 and 2011, while Protestants increased from 14% to 

20%. The mean number of living children remained more or less similar across all three surveys. 

Concerning family size concordance, the percentage of husbands who wanted more children than 

their wives declined from 23% in 2000 to 14% in 2005, rising again to 19% in 2011. The 

percentage of husbands wanting the same number of children as their wives wanted 

(concordance) rose from 35% in 2000 to 48% in 2011. 

Regarding young women’s fertility preference, no difference was observed between 2000 

and 2011 in the proportion wanting no more children. In all three surveys only a small proportion 

of women reported having been visited by a health worker, but the percentage rose from less 

than 2 percent in 2000 to 13% in 2011. The proportion of women with exposure to family 

planning information in the media doubled, from 16% in 2000 to 34% in 2011. 

Except for age, region, religion, and number of living children, all other variables listed 

in Table 1 showed significant changes, when comparing the sample population in year 2000 with 

2011. 

 
12 

Table 1. Percentage distribution of characteristics of the respondents, 2000, 2005, and 2011 

Ethiopia Demographic and Health Surveys 

Characteristics 

2000 2005 2011 

N=2,157 N= 1,904 N= 2,146 

SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS 

Age 15-19 31.5 30.7 30.0 

20-24 68.5 69.3 70.0 

Residence Urban 10.2 10.1 17.8 

Rural 89.8 89.9 82.2 

Region Tigray 8.1 6.7 7.3 

Afar 1.4 1.4 1.2 

Amhara 29.6 30.6 30.6 

Oromiya 40.5 37.1 39.7 

Somali 0.8 3.2 1.9 

Ben-gumz 1.2 1.3 1.3 

SNNPR 16.4 16.5 14.0 

Gambela 0.4 0.4 0.6 

Harari 0.2 0.3 0.3 

Addis Ababa 1.2 2.0 2.8 

Dire Dawa 0.2 0.4 0.3 

Religion Orthodox 51.5 49.0 46.8 

Muslim 31.5 32.6 31.5 

Protestant 13.6 15.6 19.5 

Other/missing 3.5 2.8 2.2 

Educational status None 79.1 73.5 49.2 

Primary 14.6 19.2 40.6 

Secondary or above 6.3 7.4 10.2 

Partner’s educational 

status

None 56.20 51.9 39.9 

Primary 31.3 33.3 44.8 

Secondary or above 12.5 14.8 15.3 

Working status Not working 39.1 71.9 48.7 

Working but not 

paid/paid in kind only 43.8 21.5 22.8 

paid with cash 17.1 6.6 28.5 

Wealth index Poorest 9.8 22.8 26.4 

Poorer 18.6 18.4 16.8 

Middle 26.8 17.9 16.1 

Richer 21.4 15.6 15.4 

Richest 23.5 25.3 25.4 

FERTILITY PREFERENCE AND DECISION-MAKING 

Number of living 

children

0 25.1 22.3 25.5 

1 38.7 39.4 37.6 

2 24.0 25.5 26.3 

3+ 12.2 12.8 10.6 

Mean 1.1 1.2 1.2 

(Continued...)

 
13 

Table 1. – Continued

Characteristics 

2000 2005 2011 

N=2,157 N= 1,904 N= 2,146 

Family size 

concordance

Both want same 35.3 37.0 47.9 

Husband wants more 21.0 14.3 18.6 

Husband wants fewer 3.6 4.2 5.9 

Do not know/missing 40.2 44.5 27.6 

Fertility 

preference

Wants soon 30.3 22.1 22.1 

Wants later 56.7 58.2 64.2 

Wants no more 10.8 18.8 11.6 

Undecided 2.2 0.9 2.2 

Women’s decisionmaking

Not participated NA 57.4 47.8 

Participated NA 42.6 52.2 

FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM EXPOSURE 

Knowledge of modern 

contraceptives

No 16.7 13.0 2.8 

Yes 83.3 87.0 97.2 

Visited by health 

worker

No 98.5 93.2 87.2 

Yes 1.5 6.8 12.8 

FP media exposure No 83.7 72.9 66.3 

Yes 16.3 27.1 33.7 

Trends in Contraceptive Use 

This section presents trends in contraceptive use during the period 2000-2011. Looking at 

the overall trend, Ethiopia has shown a significant increase in modern contraceptive use among 

young married women over the study period, from 6% in 2000 to 16% in 2005, and to 36% in 

2011 (Figure 3). 

The trend period was divided into two phases, 2000-2005 and 2005-2011, to see the 

differences in increase over time. The largest increase in modern contraceptive use was seen in 

the second phase (2005-2011) with a 19.7 percentage point change compared with a 10.4 

percentage point change in the first phase (2000-2005) (Table 2). 

The trends in modern contraceptive use by young women showed variation according to 

their characteristics. Major increases in contraceptive use were observed in some of the 

categories. Among rural residents, the largest increase in modern contraceptive use was observed 

during the second phase of the study period (2005-2011), at a 16.9 percentage point increase 

compared with a 9.5 percentage point increase during the first phase (2000-2005). 

 
14 

Figure 3. Trends in contraceptive use among Ethiopian young married women in the past 10 

years, Ethiopia Demographic and Health Surveys 2000-2011 

Three regions—Amhara; Oromia; and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' 

Region (SNNPR)—showed the greatest increases in modern contraceptive use between 2000 and 

2011. Young women with secondary and above education showed a 34.3 percentage point 

increase in contraceptive use between 2000 and 2011. 

Both young age groups (15-19 and 20-24) showed an increase in modern contraceptive 

use. Women age 20-24 showed a larger increase in contraceptive use than women age 15-19. 

Regarding family size concordance, among women whose husbands wanted the same number of 

children as they did, contraceptive use increased by 37.7 percentage points between 2000 and 

2011, nearly twice as much as among women whose husbands wanted more children than they 

did (20.5 percentage points) (Table 2).

 

5.8

15.9

35.6

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

2000 2005 2010

Bars indicate 95% confidence interval
15 

Table 2. Trend in modern contraceptive use among young currently married women by selected 

characteristics, 2000, 2005, and 2011 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Surveys 

Characteristics 

EDHS EDHS EDHS 

Percentage point difference in 

modern contraceptive use 

2000 

n=2,157 

2005

n=1,904 

2011

n=2,146 

Phase I 

2005-2000 

Phase II 

2011-2005 

Overall 

2011-2000 

Residence

Urban 35.0 51.4 66.7 16.4 15.3 31.7 

Rural 2.42 11.9 28.9 9.5 16.9 26.4 

Region 

Tigray 8.7 17.1 24.5 8.4 7.4 15.8 

Afar 11.4 11.0 11.4 -0.4 0.4 0.0 

Amhara 4.8 17.3 38.5 12.6 21.2 33.8 

Oromiya 3.9 14.3 33.4 10.4 19.1 29.5 

Somali 4.6 0.0 3.8 -4.6 3.8 -0.8 

Benishangul-Gumuz 14.1 13.3 41.4 -0.8 28.1 27.3 

SNNP 5.8 13.5 37.8 7.7 24.3 32.0 

Gambela 12.0 23.6 47.7 11.6 24.0 35.7 

Harari 24.1 32.1 39.6 8.1 7.5 15.5 

Addis Ababa 48.3 62.1 79.2 13.8 17.2 31.0 

Dire Dawa 28.3 35.3 38.4 7.1 3.1 10.2 

Age 

15-19 3.9 10.4 27.3 6.6 16.9 23.4 

20-24 6.6 18.3 39.2 11.7 20.9 32.6 

Women’s education

No education 2.6 10.3 24.4 7.7 14.2 21.9 

Primary 10.8 24.7 41.0 13.9 16.3 30.1 

Secondary + 34.2 49.5 68.5 15.3 19.0 34.3 

Husbands’ education

No education 2.1 9.1 24.5 7.1 15.3 22.4 

Primary 6.2 19.2 38.4 13.0 19.2 32.3 

Secondary + 21.3 32.4 56.5 11.0 24.1 35.2 

Religion

Orthodox 6.6 21.4 42.3 14.8 20.9 35.7 

Muslim 5.0 12.1 22.2 7.1 10.1 17.2 

Protestant 5.9 8.5 43.7 2.6 35.2 37.8 

Others 0.0 5.2 14.4 5.2 9.2 14.3 

Working status

Not working 6.3 14.0 34.5 7.7 20.5 28.1 

Working but not paid 2.7 15.7 27.2 13.0 11.5 24.5 

Paid with cash 12.3 37.4 44.3 25.1 6.9 32.0 

Visited by health worker 

Yes (36.9) 20.4 38.6 -16.5 18.2 1.7 

No 5.2 15.6 35.2 10.4 19.6 30.0 

(Continued...) 
16 

Table 2. – Continued

Characteristics 

EDHS EDHS EDHS 

Percentage point difference in 

modern contraceptive use 

2000 

n=2,157 

2005

n=1,904 

2011

n=2,146 

Phase I 

2005-2000 

Phase II 

2011-2005 

Overall 

2011-2000 

FP media exposure 

No 3.8 10.0 27.6 6.2 17.6 23.8 

Yes 15.6 31.8 51.2 16.2 19.4 35.6 

Family size concordance 

Both want same 9.3 23.9 50.0 14.5 23.1 37.7 

Husband wants more 5.8 11.6 26.3 5.8 14.7 20.5 

Husband wants fewer 9.1 23.1 39.7 14.0 16.6 30.6 

Do not know/missing 2.3 9.9 21.3 7.6 11.4 19.0 

Total 5.8 15.9 35.6 10.1 19.7 29.9 

Figures are presented in percentages of users from weighted sample (n) 

Figures in “( )” indicate sample size is <50 

Trends in Contraceptive Method Mix 

Figure 4 depicts trends in modern contraceptive method mix among young married 

women in the three EDHS. In 2000, pills and injectables were used about equally, but by 2011 

the proportion using pills had declined from 46% in 2000 to only 7%, while the proportion of 

contraceptive users relying on injectables nearly doubled, to 85% in 2011. 

In all three surveys the main source of contraception for young married women was the 

public sector (75% in 2000, 79% in 2005, and 81% in 2011). The private sector contributed 

about 17%, at nearly similar levels over the three surveys. 

 
17 

Figure 4. Trends in contraceptive method mix among young married women in 2000, 2005, and 

2011 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Surveys 

Determinants of Contraceptive Use 

The variables selected for multivariate logistic regression based on the conceptual 

framework were related to socio-demographic characteristics, fertility preference, and family 

planning program exposure. 

The multivariate analysis indicated that wealth index, age, religion, women’s education, 

family size concordance, and fertility preference remained significant in the final model (Table 

3). 

 The odds of contraceptive use were higher for women with secondary and above 

education, women age 20-24, and women wanting a child later or wanting no more children, 

compared with women with no formal education, women age 15-24, and women wanting a child 

soon. 

45.5

22.2

7.0

45.3

74.6

84.6

9.2 * 3.2 * 8.4 *

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2000 2005 2011

All other Methods

Norplant

Condom

Injections

Pill

* The top number in each bar is the subtotal for condoms, Norplant, and all other methods.
18 

Table 3. Final logistic regression model with crude and adjusted odds ratio using the 2011 

Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey (n=2,146) 

Variables 

Contraceptive 

use (%) COR AOR 95% CI AOR 

Wealth index Poorest 14.8 

Poorer 26.9 2.12** 1.81* 1.08 - 3.05 

Middle 31.4 2.64** 2.29** 1.36 - 3.84 

Richer 37.4 3.48** 2.97*** 1.67 - 5.31 

Richest 66.5 11.44** 5.49*** 2.74 - 10.98 

Age 15-19 27.3 

20-24 39.2 1.72** 1.64** 1.15 - 2.34 

Residence Urban 66.9 

Rural 28.9 0.20 1.18 0.65 – 2.13 

FP media 

exposure

No 27.7 

Yes 51.3 1.16 1.20 0.84 - 1.73 

Women’s 

education

None 24.4 

Primary 50.0 2.15 1.41 0.96 - 2.08 

Secondary+ 68.5 6.72 2.17* 1.12 - 4.22 

Husbands’ 

education

None 24.5 

Primary 38.4 1.93*** 0.97 0.67 - 1.39 

Secondary+ 56.5 4.00*** 0.60 0.33 - 1.12 

Religion Muslim 22.2 

Orthodox 42.3 2.56 2.55*** 1.68-3.87 

Protestant 43.7 2.72 2.45** 1.38 – 4.34 

Others/Missing 14.4 0.59 1.10 0.27 -4.47 

Occupation Not working 34.5 

Paid in kind 27.2 0.71 0.82 0.54 - 1.23 

Paid with cash 44.3 1.51* 1.10 0.78 - 1.54 

Family size 

concordance

Both want same 47.0 

Husband wants more 26.3 0.40*** 0.45*** 0.29 - 0.70 

Husband wants fewer 39.7 0.74 0.79 0.44 - 1.43 

Don’t know/ Missing 21.3 0.31*** 0.40*** 0.28 - 0.58 

Number of living 

children

0 34.1 

1 39.8 1.27 0.98 0.63 - 1.53 

2 35.5 1.06 0.88 0.53 - 1.47 

3+ 24.6 0.63 0.61 0.32 - 1.14 

Women’s 

decision-making

Not participated 28.0 

Participated 42.6 1.91*** 1.21 0.82 - 1.79 

Fertility 

preference

Wants soon 24.0 

Wants later 38.7 1.99*** 2.03** 1.31 - 3.13 

Wants no more 41.0 2.19** 2.09* 1.15 - 3.82 

Undecided 33.3 1.57 2.28 0.82 - 6.33 

Significant at α value of *=0.05, **= 0.01, ***=0.001 
19 

The odds of modern contraceptive use increase as wealth increases. Compared with the 

poorest quintile of women, the odds of using contraceptive were 1.81, 2.29, 2.97, and 5.49 times 

higher among the poorer, middle, richer, and richest women, respectively. Women age 20-24 had 

1.64 times higher odds of contraceptive use than women age 15-19. Women with secondary or 

above education had 2.17 times higher odds of contraceptive use compared with non-educated 

women. Women belonging to the Orthodox Christian or Protestant religious groups had more 

than twice the odds of contraceptive use compared with Muslim women. 

Women whose husbands wanted more children had 55% lower odds of contraceptive use 

than women whose husbands wanted the same number of children as they did. Likewise, women 

had 60% lower odds of contraceptive use if they did not know how many children their husbands 

wanted to have. The odds of contraceptive use were about twice as high among women wanting 

a child later or wanting no more children, compared with women who wanted a child soon. 

Decomposition Analysis 

Difference due to characteristics 

The decomposition analysis revealed that about 24% of the overall percentage change in 

modern contraceptive use by young married women was due to difference in characteristics 

(compositional factors). Among the compositional factors, a significant contribution to the 

positive change in contraceptive use was associated with women’s education. Education is an 

important variable for use of contraception (Table 3). Thus an increase in the composition of 

women’s attainment of primary and above education over the survey period (Table 1) showed a 

significant contribution to the change in modern contraceptive use (Table 4). 

Although compositional changes were small (Table 1), an increase in the proportion of 

young women age 20-24 in the sample made a significant contribution to increasing use of 

modern contraception (Table 4). As indicated in Table 3, Orthodox Christian and Protestant 

religions were associated with more use of contraception compared with the Muslim religion. 

Hence, a decreasing proportion of Orthodox Christians in the sample (Table 1) showed a 

significant negative impact on the use of modern contraceptive methods. On the other hand, an 

increasing proportion of Protestants in the sample was associated with a significant contribution 

to the percentage increase of modern contraceptive use (Table 4). 
20 

Another compositional factor affecting contraceptive use was family size concordance. A 

decline over the survey period in the proportion of husbands wanting to have more children than 

their wives wanted significantly contributed to the increasing use of modern contraceptive use in 

the last decade (Table 4). Similarly, an increase in the composition of women with fertility 

preference for spacing and limiting births showed significant contributions to the observed 

changes in modern contraceptive use among young women (Table 4). 

Difference due to effects of characteristics 

After controlling for the role of compositional changes, about two-thirds of the increase 

in contraceptive use was due to difference in the effects of characteristics. Factors including 

residence and religion showed a significant effect for the observed positive change in 

contraceptive use. Other things being equal, about one-third of the increase in modern 

contraceptive use in the past decade was due to a change in modern contraceptive use behavior 

among the rural population. Compared with followers of the Muslim religion, followers of other 

religions, especially the Orthodox Christian religion, showed a significant contribution to the 

observed percentage increase in modern contraceptive use over the decade. The effect of religion 

has become more important over time (Table 4). 

 
21 

Table 4. Decomposition of change in modern contraceptive use among young married women in 

Ethiopia, 2000 to 2011 

Modern contraceptive use 

Difference due to 

characteristics (E) 

Difference due to 

coefficients (C) 

Coef. Pct Coef. Pct. 

Age 15-19 

20-24 0.00133** 0.44522 0.01218 4.07930 

Residence Urban 

Rural 0.01202*** 4.02580 0.09849** 32.99700 

FP media 

exposure 

No 

Yes 0.00857 2.86960 0.00056 0.18869 

Women’s 

education 

None 

Primary 0.02170** 7.26820 -0.00042 -0.13943 

Secondary+ 0.00723** 2.42230 -0.00114 -0.38330 

Husbands’ 

education 

None 

Primary 0.00210 0.70214 -0.01365 -4.57230 

Secondary+ -0.00100 -0.33537 -0.00382 -1.27900 

Religion Muslim 

Orthodox -0.00770** -2.57820 0.04824** 16.16200 

Protestant 0.00879** 2.94380 0.01295* 4.33810 

Others/Missing 0.00034 0.11506 0.01268*** 4.24880 

Occupation Not working 

Paid in kind 0.00991 3.31950 -0.01263 -4.23260 

Paid with cash 0.00254 0.84942 -0.00641 -2.14660 

Family size 

concordance 

Both want same 

Husband wants more 0.00356** 1.19130 -0.00803 -2.68980 

Husband wants fewer -0.00135 -0.45294 0.00097 0.32619 

Don’t know/ Missing 0.02186** 7.32320 -0.00319 -1.06850 

Number of 

living children 

0 

1 0.00002 0.00626 0.00856 2.86700 

2 -0.00033 -0.11104 -0.00046 -0.15287 

3+ 0.00124 0.41442 0.00038 0.12588 

Fertility 

preference 

Wants soon 

Wants later 0.00917** 3.07120 -0.00198 -0.66481 

Wants no more 0.00099* 0.33123 -0.00591 -1.98040 

Undecided 0.00003 0.00902 0.00308 1.03020 

Constant 0.05662 18.97000 

Total 0.1014** 33.977 0.197** 66.023 

*Significant at 0.05, **Significant at 0.01, ***Significant at <0.001 
22 

DISCUSSION 

This study examined the trends and determinants of modern contraceptive use among 

young married women in Ethiopia. The study was designed to identify the major factors 

positively or negatively contributing to the changes in contraceptive use in the past 10 years. The 

study used data from the 2000, 2005, and 2011 Ethiopia DHS surveys. 

Trends in Contraceptive Use 

Young women’s modern contraceptive use increased substantially over the last decade. 

Ethiopia is one of the three counties in sub-Saharan Africa with the most rapid increase in 

modern contraceptive use (USAID/Africa Bureau 2011). Except for 2000, young married women 

show a higher trend of contraceptive use compared with the overall prevalence trend in Ethiopia 

(UNFPA 2012). The largest increase in modern contraceptive use was in the second survey 

period, 2005-2011. This may be attributed to rigorous family planning programs by the 

government and NGOs, through improvement in the health care infrastructure and government 

attention to meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through health sector 

development strategies (USAID/Africa Bureau 2011). 

Current Determinants of Contraceptive Use 

Modern contraceptive use showed significant variation according to socio-demographic 

characteristics of Ethiopian young women. Based on analysis of the 2011 EDHS, the odds of 

using contraception are higher among women age 20-24 compared with age 15-19. This could be 

partly explained by the fact that as young women grow older many changes come together, such 

as cognitive maturation, awareness, and other psychosocial skill developments. As a result, they 

are more likely than younger women to consider contraceptive options. 

Young women in the richer wealth index quintiles are more likely to use modern 

contraceptive methods compared with the poorest wealth category. A similar finding is observed 

in studies conducted in different African countries (Adebowale et al. 2014; Creanga et al. 2011; 

Nketiah-Amponsah, Arthur, and Aaron 2012; Wenjuan et al. 2012). This could be linked with 

many factors. Poor women might face difficulties in getting access to services. Moreover, 

economic power is the source of an ability to exercise one’s rights. Hence, poor women may not 

achieve their family planning needs to the same extent that wealthier women are able to. 
23 

Compared with non-educated women, contraceptive use is significantly higher among 

women with secondary and above educational status. This is because higher educational 

attainment can provide opportunity for better information on contraceptive methods and better 

access to services. Moreover, women with more education are more likely to be engaged in 

professional and other employment activities and thus more likely to want to limit their number 

of children. A recent study conducted in Malawi is in line with this finding (Adebowale et al. 

2014). 

The analysis revealed significant differences in contraceptive use across different 

religious groups. Muslim women have lower odds of contraceptive use compared with Orthodox 

Christian or Protestant women. Some studies indicate similar observations (Lakew et al. 2013; 

Srikanthan and Reid 2008). However, the role of religion on contraceptive use is not well studied 

in Africa. 

Beyond the socio-demographic variables, couple’s family size concordance and women’s 

fertility preference are significantly associated with modern contraceptive use among young 

women. Women whose husbands want to have more children than they do have lower odds of 

contraceptive use compared with women whose husbands want a similar number of children. 

Likewise, they have lower odds of contraceptive use if they do not know how many children 

their husbands want to have. This might be due to husbands’ demands for more children having a 

negative influence on women’s contraceptive use, which in turn might affect decisions on the 

number of children desired (Bankole and Singh 1998; Nalwadda et al. 2010; Nketiah-Amponsah, 

Arthur, and Aaron 2012). As expected, the study found that the odds of contraceptive use are 

higher when women want a child later or want to limit births, compared with women who want a 

child soon. 

Decomposition of Changes in Contraceptive Use 

Analysis of the 10-year trend (2000 to 2011) showed a remarkable change in the use of 

modern contraceptives in Ethiopia. Hence, understanding the source of change has programmatic 

importance for both Ethiopia and other countries. 

 
24 

Difference due to women’s characteristics 

About a third of the overall change in modern contraceptive use by young married 

women is due to difference in characteristics. The finding is much lower than the previous 

reports based on analysis of women age 15-49 in Ethiopia (UNFPA 2012) and a study in 

Cameroon (Pillai and Teboh 2011). The most important concept in this part is that significant 

contribution of the change arises when the composition of the population changes according to 

important variables. 

An increase in the composition of women’s attainment of primary and above education 

showed a significant effect on contraceptive use and contributed about 10% of the changes. 

Currently, girls’ education is on the government priority agenda in Ethiopia. Therefore, the 

proportion of educated young women is expected to rise and to continue having an impact on 

contraceptive use in the future. 

Compositional changes by categories of religion are associated with both negative and 

positive impacts on the trend in use of contraception. A decreasing proportion of Orthodox 

Christians (who use contraception more than Muslims) negatively affected the trends in 

contraceptive prevalence, and an increasing proportion of Protestants (who also use 

contraception more than Muslims) had a positive effect on the prevalence trends. The finding 

implies that appropriate strategies are needed to improve service access and benefits of family 

planning programs, especially in Muslim-dominated regions of the country. 

The decline over time in the proportion of husbands who want more children than their 

wives want has contributed significantly to increasing modern contraceptive use in the last 

decade. This finding can reflect an increasing trend of discussion and agreement between 

husbands and wives on family size and contraceptive use. In this case, the decision of the 

husband is particularly important in patriarchic societies like Ethiopia. 

The analysis also showed that an increase in the composition of women having a fertility 

preference for spacing and limiting their births contributed significantly to the observed changes 

in modern contraceptive use among young women. Such a change can be a reflection of a 

growing awareness of the importance of family planning and of new attitudes toward lower 

fertility. A decline in desire for having more children can reflect the growing engagement of 

young women in development activities, including education. 
25 

Difference due to effects of characteristics 

The decomposition analysis revealed that about two-thirds of the increase in 

contraceptive use over the past decade is due to difference in the effects of characteristics 

(coefficients). This finding is in line with a study in Rwanda, where most of the increase in 

contraceptive use was found to be due to change in coefficients (Muhoza, Rutayisire, and 

Umubyeyi 2013). 

One of the striking findings from the decomposition analysis is the effect of residence. 

About a third of the increase in modern contraceptive use among young married women in the 

past decade is due to changes in contraceptive use behavior of the rural population. Although 

urban women’s prevalence of contraceptive use (67%) still far exceeds rural prevalence (29%), 

the biggest increase has been in the rural areas, where most of the population lives (an 11-fold 

increase in rural areas compared with a two-fold increase in urban areas). Overall, the finding 

shows that the behavior of the rural population in using contraception is improving over time. 

Government commitments to improve family planning and other health service access 

might explain this finding. As noted in previous studies (Medhanyie et al. 2012; USAID/Africa 

Bureau 2011), the implementation of the Health Extension Program is the major reason, with 

provision of family planning services in the rural areas and recently in urban settings of the 

country. For this purpose, more than 33,000 Health Extension Workers were deployed, mostly in 

the rural parts of the country. The family planning package, one of the 16 aspects of rural health 

care provided by Health Extension Workers, has as its objectives to address misconceptions 

concerning family planning in the community, to counsel clients on all family planning methods, 

and to provide short-acting contraceptive methods (FMOH 2007). 

Another remarkable finding in this part of the analysis is the effect of religion. The 

changes in contraceptive use behavior differ significantly among the categories of religion. Most 

of the increase in contraceptive use since 2000 has been among followers of the Orthodox 

Christian and Protestant religions. As recognized in previous studies (UNFPA 2012), the effect 

of religion has become more important over time. In 2000, contraceptive use was more or less 

similar in the three major religions (5% to 6%). Over the 10-year period studied, Orthodox 

Christian and Protestants showed a 36% and 38% increase, respectively, compared with 17% 

among Muslims (Table 2). Although there is no supporting evidence on the reasons for the 
26 

difference among religions, religious belief is one of the psychosocial barriers when women 

think about using a method for fertility regulation. However, studies may need to understand the 

major reasons for slow progress in adopting family planning, in order to identify factors with 

programmatic relevance. 

Strengths and Limitations of the Study 

This study had a number of strengths. First, the study utilized large datasets representing 

the whole country, and thus the findings were based on adequate statistical power. Second, 

calculations were done after the data were weighted for the sampling probabilities and nonresponse. Complex sampling procedures were also considered during testing of statistical 

significance. Third, analytic techniques such as decomposition analysis were applied, to 

understand the sources of change in modern contraceptive use. 

This study highlighted important findings to support family planning programs in 

Ethiopia, but it is not without limitations, which could affect conclusions based on some of the 

findings. During decomposition analysis, important variables such as women’s decision-making, 

representing women’s autonomy, were not included due to lack of data about this variable in the 

2000 EDHS. However, some of the contribution of this variable can be represented by the 

variable “couple’s concordance on family size.” Comparability of the wealth index across the 

three surveys was difficult, as the EDHS measurement tools for the wealth index were different 

among the surveys, and hence this variable was excluded from the trend analysis. 
27 

CONCLUSIONS 

Modern contraceptive use among young married women has showed a remarkable 

increase over the last decade in Ethiopia. Wealth index, age, religion, women’s education, family 

size concordance, and fertility preference were significantly associated with young women’s 

modern contraceptive use in 2011. 

One-third of the overall change in modern contraceptive use by young married women 

over the decade was due to difference in characteristics between the 2000 and 2011 EDHS. 

Changes in the composition of young women’s characteristics according to age, educational 

status, religion, couple concordance on family size, and fertility preference were the major 

sources of the increase in contraceptive prevalence among this group. 

Two-thirds of the increase in contraceptive use was due to change in contraceptive use 

behavior. Most importantly, the increase was due to change in contraceptive use behavior among 

the rural population and among Orthodox Christians and Protestants. 

Recommendations 

Program interventions, including health behavior education and family planning services 

and counseling, are especially needed for some categories of the population, including poor, 

younger (adolescents), illiterate, and Muslim young married women. Strengthening communitybased and school-based family planning programs are strategies to maintain young women’s 

contraceptive use and to advance it further. It is mandatory to continue education of the young 

population, as education is one of the major factors contributing to increasing contraceptive use 

among young people in Ethiopia. 
28 

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