Background Contraceptives utilization is a guarantee to avert unwanted pregnancy. However, in Ethiopia more than half of the rural women have shorter birth intervals. Also of all births in their pregnancies, 17% and 8% were mistimed (wanted at a later date) and unwanted births, respectively. Therefore, this paper investigates modern contraceptive utilization and predictors among rural lactating women.
Methods community cross-sectional study was conducted from May 01 to June 29, 2019 in two (Dabat and Gondar zuria district) northwest Ethiopian Districts. A total of 603 lactating mothers were included in this study. Data was collected through face to face interview using a structured questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were done to identify the independent predictors of modern contraceptive utilization.
Results The overall prevalence of modern contraceptive (MC) utilization rate was 45.8% [95% CI: 38.01, 53.59]. The contraceptive method mix was dominated by Depo-Provera (39.8%) and followed by implants (4.8%). The odds of modern utilization of contraceptive were 5.58 times higher among with children with fully immunization [AOR=5.58, 95% CI: 3.45, 9.01] compared to mothers with children with incomplete or not vaccinated. Mothers who received antenatal care [AOR= 1.743, 95% CI: 1.13, 4.43] and postnatal care[AOR=2.02, 95%CI: 1.24, 2.91) were 1.74 and 2.02 folds more likely utilize modern contraceptive than mothers who did not received antenatal care and postnatal care, respectively.
Conclusion in the study area, low prevalence of modern contraceptive utilization is documented compared to the planed national figure. In the region child immunization services is one of a promising platform to reach lactating mothers with modern contraceptive utilization. Also our findings suggest antenatal care and postnatal care visit are the other key determinants for modern contraceptive utilization. According to our findings in a low-resource setting like Ethiopia, the health system approach to improved ANC, postnatal care and child immunization services should be intensified with more effective advice on modern contraceptive utilization to reduce unwanted pregnancy.