Socio-demographic Determinants of Contraceptive Use among Married Women from Urban Area of North Karnataka

Family planning is being recognized as one of the most important issues not only as in population number problems but as an issue which affects the health and lives of women and children. The increased use of contraception is indisputably the main proximate determinant of the fertility decline and a factor that improves quality of life of a woman and her baby.

To find out the socio-demographic determinants and magnitude of current contraceptive use among married women residing in urban area of Bagalkot, North Karnataka.

House to house survey by interview method by administering a pre-designed, structured questionnaire.

Married women in the reproductive age group (15–44 years).

Cross sectional Study.

1^st June 2010 to 31^st May 2011.

The prevalence of contraceptive use was found to be 58.05% in the study area. Around 3/4^th of the subjects i.e. 72.28% adopted tubectomy as method of contraception. None of the respondents had opted for vasectomy as contraceptive measure. Temporary methods were followed by 27.72% of current contraceptive users. Contraceptive acceptance was more in women who are graduate and above (95.45%), women from a nuclear family (62.38%), upper middle socioeconomic class (81.46%). Significant association was found between contraceptive acceptance and literacy status, occupation, type of family, socioeconomic status and age at marriage. Temporary contraception was better accepted by those females who were educated upto high school and above, among those who were occupied in skilled and above occupation.

There is urgent need to increase awareness about contraceptive use in the society with special emphasis on involvement of male partners.