Associations between spousal gender equity and recent unintended pregnancy among married adolescent girls and their husbands in rural Niger

This study in rural Niger examines if gender equity attitudes of married adolescent girls and their husbands are associated with recent unintended pregnancy (UIP) and ever-use of family planning (FP). Logistic regression models were used to calculate adjusted associations between husbands' and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:African journal of reproductive health 2022-12, Vol.26 (12s), p.38-47
Main Authors: Fonseka, Ruvani W., Delong, Stephanie M., Shakya, Holly B., Challa, Sneha, Brooks, Mohamed I., Silverman, Jay G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
adolescent marriage
Adolescents
Family planning
gender attitudes
Gender equity
Husbands
Niger
Pregnancy
Reproductive health
Spouses
Teenagers
Wives
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Summary:This study in rural Niger examines if gender equity attitudes of married adolescent girls and their husbands are associated with recent unintended pregnancy (UIP) and ever-use of family planning (FP). Logistic regression models were used to calculate adjusted associations between husbands' and wives' equity (jointly and separately) and the two outcomes. UIP was less likely to be reported by adolescent girls with equitable husbands, controlling for wife's equity (adjusted odds ratio/aOR: 0.57, 95% confidence interval/CI: 0.41-0.80), and was more likely to be reported by equitable wives (aOR: 2.26, CI: 1.59-3.24). In stratified analyses, wife's equity was associated with a nearly three-fold likelihood of UIP in couples with inequitable husbands (aOR: 2.79, CI: 1.58-5.05). Ever having used FP was not associated with husbands' or wives' gender equity. Interventions targeting reproductive health outcomes for married adolescent girls should focus on spousal equity attitudes – improving wives’ equity might be ineffective if husbands remain inequitable.
ISSN:1118-4841
1118-4841
DOI:10.29063/ajrh2022/v26i12s.5