Factors influencing decision-making power regarding reproductive health and rights among married women in Mettu rural district, south-west, Ethiopia

Abstract

BackgroundWomen’s decision-making power regarding reproductive health and rights (RHR) was the central component to achieve reproductive well-being. Literatures agree that a women having higher domestic decision-making power regarding their health care were more likely to utilize health services. More than 80% of women in Ethiopia reside in rural areas where they considered as the subordinates of their husbands. This would restrict women to fully exercise their RHR. Thus, this study aims to determine the factors influencing the women’s decision-making power regarding RHR in Mettu rural district, South West Ethiopia.MethodsA community based cross-sectional study was done among 415 by using randomly selected married women of reproductive age from March to April 2017. Data was entered by using Epi-data manger 1.4 and analyzed by SPSS version 21. Descriptive and multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out.ResultOne hundred sixty-eight (41.5%) of the women had greater decision-making power regarding RHR. Woman’s primary education AOR 2.62[95% C. I 1.15, 5.97], secondary (9+) education AOR 3.18[95% C. I 1.16, 8.73] and husband’s primary education AOR 4.0[95% C. I 1.53, 10.42], secondary (9+) education AOR 3.95 [95% C. I 1.38, 11.26], being knowledgeable about RHR AOR 3.57 [95% C. I 1.58, 8.09], marriage duration of more than 10 years AOR 2.95 [95% C. I 1.19, 7.26], access to micro-credit enterprises AOR 4.26[95% C. I 2.06, 8.80], having gender equitable attitude AOR 6.38 [95% C. I 2.52, 12.45] and good qualities of spousal relation AOR 2.95 [95% C. I 1.30, 6.64] were positively influencing women’s decision-making power regarding RHR.ConclusionMore than four in ten rural women had greater decision-making power regarding RHR. External pressures (qualities of spousal relation, gender equitable attitude) and knowledge about RHR were found to influence women’s decision-making power. Public health interventions targeting women’s RHR should take into account strengthening rural micro-credit enterprises, qualities of spousal relations and priority should be given to women with no formal education of husband or herself and marriage duration of < 5 years.

Institutional delivery services utilization and associated factors among mothers who gave birth in the last year in Mandura district, Northwest Ethiopia

“…Women who had access to health facilities were more likely to utilize institutional delivery service. This finding is in line with studies [ 18 , 28 , 29 ]. This could be explained by an increased distance from the health facility, transport cost, and lost production time, as well as possible lower exposure to health information.…”

“…Women who had husbands with at least primary and above level of education were more likely to give birth in health institutions. This finding was consistent with studies done from pastoralist community, in Afar, Northeast Ethiopia [ 32 ], Meta-analysis in Ethiopia [ 28 ], in Bench Maji zone, South West Ethiopia [ 23 ]. The possible justification for this could be educated husbands might have a better understanding of the complication of home delivery and the benefit of institutional delivery.…”

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.

“…The nding of rural married women decision making power has similarity with a cross sectional study conducted in Bale found that, 39.5% regarding maternal and child health care decision (30) consistent with southern Ethiopia rural women decision-making power over contraceptive use 43.1% (31). Higher than the study conducted in Bangladesh 35% [11)], SNNPR 30.7% [9], Honduras 25% [12], Malawi 28.75% [32] And Pakistan 28 % [33].The variation might be from Social factors and cultural difference contributes on decision making power on RH-service utilization.…”

“…Moreover, women's decision making power also differs by their residency area; Urban versus rural residency. For instance, urban women 20% odds of make a decision than rural (10), urban married women has 55.9% odds of decision than their rural counterparts (11), in Honduras urban women has 25% odds of decision than rural (12) and in India urban has 27% odds of decision than their rural counterparts (13). Despite to this, enhancing empowerment status of women contributes best approaches to improve decision making power (14).…”

The Trend of Women’s Autonomy in Refusing Risky Sex and Associated Factors in Ethiopia: Evidence From 2011 &amp; 2016 EDHS&nbsp;Data

“…(3) Concerning the wealth index, the middle was taken as it is but the categories poorest and poor, and rich and richest were merged into poor and rich respectively. Other studies (15)(16)(17)(18) have also used these variables to measure the wealth index.…”