Determinants of Contraceptive Use in Kenya
Abstract
With a low level of contraceptive use and
poor understanding of the factors responsible for
this situation, Kenya requires studies aimed at
establishing the determinants of contraceptive
use so that these factors can be used in
formulating appropriate policies and programs
to increase acceptance and use of contraceptives.
This is necessary if a substantial reduction
in fertility and hence population growth rate
has to be achieved via this policy instrument.
This study aims at establishing how the
various socio-economic, demographic and
behavioural factors as well as the availability
of contraceptive services relate to
contraceptive use.
The Kenya fertility survey of 1977-78
serves as the basic source of the data for the
analysis. This data is of high quality and
is reasonably reliable.
Multiple regression analysis is used as
the major technique of statistical analysis.
The analysis of the data revealed that the
selected variables accounted for 21.5 per cent
variance in current use of contraception among
exposed women. The corresponding F-statistic - value
of 12.21 was significant at U.01 Level.
This means that differentials in the levels of
contraceptive use were apparent in the data.
Travel time (Travt), Child mortality experience
(CMORT), the number of additional children desired
(NACD) and breastfeeding (BREAST) were all found
to be inversely related to contraceptive use
with correlation coeffiecients of r= -0.3721,
r= -4L0977, r= -0.14386, .and r= -0.21358
respectively.
Wife's education and her employment status,
place of residence, husband's employment status
and family size were all found to be positively
related to contraceptive use. Their correlation
coefficients with contraceptive use were
r= 0.18259, r= 0.22366; r= 0.cr4114 and r= 0.02052
respectively.
In conclusion, therefore, all the hypotheses
stipulated were confirmed.
Publisher
University of Nairobi Department of Population Studies and Research Institute, University of Nairobi