WOMEN AUTONOMY AND CONTRACEPTIVE USE BEHAVIOUR: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS OF PAKHTUN SOCIETY

Abstract

The present study was framed under a quantitative research design, aimed at investigating the role of women's autonomy in the adoption of contraceptive use behavior in district Mardan. Through multistage random sampling technique, a sample of 413 married women was selected from the study area based on Sekaran's (2003) method of sample size. An interview schedule was used as a tool for data collection. The collected data were analyzed through SPSS in the shape of descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression analysis. Findings show that household decision-making significantly affected contraceptive use behavior by women autonomy (P=0.000). However, the other variables (financial decision making (0.127), and physical mobility (0.120) were non-significant predictors. The exponential-B value helped interpret the model as; by improving women household decision making, their use of contraceptives could be improved (EαP B = 3.118). The model further explained that the freedom in financial decision-making of women rise could enhance the likelihood of their use of contraceptives by 1.4 times (EαP B = 1.4). The model further showed that freedom in physical mobility of women could increase the likelihood of use of contraceptives by (EαP B = 0.708). The study recommended that women could use contraceptives more easily if they have given their due status in the family, the women in-laws stay away from the family matters of husband and wife, and proper education and employment opportunities are given to the women folk which stable their economic as well as household decision-making opportunities in their families.