Decision Making Power Over Reproductive Health Service Utilization and Associated Factors Among Married Women in Dupa Town and Surrounding Rural Kebeles, Illuababora Zone, South West Ethiopia,2020

Abstract

Background Decision making power of women is one of the essential factors which have influence on maternal health service utilizations. Women’s lack of decision over reproductive health service utilization affects their protection from unwanted child bearing, unsafe sex and their consequences. Objective The main objective of this study was to assess decision-making power on RH-service utilization and its associated factors among married women in Illuababor zone, Dupa town and surrounding rural kebeles, South West Ethiopia, 2018. Methods Community based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from May to July, 2018 among 584(urban 292 and rural 292) married women of reproductive age group. Women meet the inclusion criteria were interviewed by using structured and pre-tested questionnaire. The data were entered into EPI data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 20 computer software for analysis. Both Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis was used. Level of significance was declared at a p value of < 0.05 Results A total of 288 in urban and 288 in rural married women were interviewed and yields a response rate of 98.6% both in urban and rural. Decision-making power in urban and rural was 55.2% [95% CI (52.7–64.6)] and 40.3% [95% CI (39.9–52.5)] respectively. In urban, being wives of government employed spouses [AOR 2.102 95% CI (1.16, 3.81)], knowledge on RH [AOR 3.33, 95% CI (1.20, 12.49)], above five years in marriage [AOR 1.91, 95% CI (1.19, 7.70)], were found to be predictors of women’s decision-making power. Interpretations &Conclusion: Urban women had better power to make decisions than rural on reproductive health service utilization. Reproductive health interventions in the area should be promoted by considering empowering of married women on reproductive health service utilization.