Wealth and unintended pregnancy in Ghana: Analysis of 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey

Abstract

26Background: Pregnancy intention is a critical factor for both short and long term maternal and 27 child health outcomes. Some evidence show that wealth status has varying implications on 28 unintended pregnancy. In this study, we investigated wealth and unintended pregnancy among 29 women of reproductive age in Ghana. 30 Methods: Our descriptive analysis comprised calculation of wealth status and unintended 31 pregnancy. The same calculation was done for socio-demographic characteristics and 32 unintended pregnancy. Due to the binary nature of the outcome variable (unintended 33 pregnancy), Binary Logistic Model was used for the inferential analysis. The first model 34 (Model I), constituted wealth quintile and unintended pregnancy. The second model (Model II) 35was developed by adjusting for five key socio-demographic variables. 36Results: Women in the richest wealth quintile had less likelihood of experiencing unintended 37 pregnancy (OR=0.740, CI=0.42-1.28). Considering women aged 15-19 as the reference 38 category, women in all other age categories had less likelihood of unintended pregnancy 39 especially those aged 45-49 (AOR=0.26, CI=0.04-1.58). The findings revealed that those who 40 listened to radio at least once a week (AOR=0.56, CI=0.36-0.89) were less probable to report 41 unintended pregnancy, having those not listening to radio at all as the reference category. 42Women in urban settings were less likely to have unintended pregnancies (AOR=0.74, 43 CI=0.46-1.19). 44Conclusions: This study has indicated that unintended pregnancy to larger extent is poverty 45 driven. The study suggests that the mass media, particularly radio, is valuable in 46 communicating birth control measures and messages on unintended pregnancies. Efforts to 47 halt unintended pregnancies must target poor women, especially those in the rural locations. 48 49 Plain English summary 52Unintended pregnancies have a number of adverse implications on women and newborns. 53These pregnancies consist of those that are not needed at all or were expected earlier or later 54 than when they happened. Some research have suggested that wealth status of women affect 55 their chances of experiencing unintended pregnancy. In Ghana, a number of studies have been 56 conducted on various aspects of unintended pregnancy. Yet, our search indicated that no study 57 have been carried out on the relationship between wealth and unintended pregnancy. 58In this study we explored how wealth status of women affect unintended pregnancy. Using 59Binary Logistic Regression analysis, the study revealed that wealth is associated with 60 unintended pregnancy. Women in the richest wealth quintile had less likelihood of 61 experiencing unintended pregnancy compared with poorest women. After adjusting for 62 covariates, we realised that compared with poorest women, the rich were more likely to 63 experience unintended pregnancy. 64In conclusion, richest women generally have lower chances of experiencing unintended 65 pregnancies, however, this can be compromised b...