Magnitude and associated factors of unintended pregnancy in Ethiopia: a multilevel analysis using 2016 EDHS data

Unintended pregnancy has become a significant public health and reproductive health problem that has had a substantial and appreciable adverse impact on mother, child, and the general public. Despite the paramount negative effects of unintended pregnancy, many pregnancies are unintended in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of unintended pregnancy in Ethiopia.

This study was based on the nationally representative 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey data. We used a total weighted sample of 7590 reproductive-aged women who gave birth in the 5 years preceding the survey. A multi-level logistic regression analysis was used to account for the hierarchal nature of the DHS data. In the multivariable multilevel analysis, those variables with p-value < 0.05 were considered to be significantly associated with unintended pregnancy.

The prevalence of unintended pregnancy was 26.6% [95%CI: 25.6, 27.6]. In the multivariable multilevel logistic regression analysis; individual level variables such as being in the age group 20 to 34 [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.57; 95%CI: 0.41, 0.79] and 35 to 49 [AOR = 0.68; 95%CI: 0.47, 0.97], being follower of Muslim religion [AOR = 0.73; 95%CI: 0.60, 0.88], being married [AOR = 0.46; 95%CI: 0.37-0.58], household size of four to six [AOR = 1.38; 95%CI: 1.10, 1.69] and seven and above [AOR = 1.54; 95%CI: 1.20, 1.99], and being multiparous [AOR = 1.36; 95%CI: 1.10, 1.69] and grand multiparous [AOR = 1.92; 95%CI: 1.47, 2.52] were significantly associated with unintended pregnancy. Among community level variables; being living in large central [AOR = 2.56; 95%CI: 2.06, 3.17] and metropolitan regions [AOR = 1.91; 95%CI: 1.44, 2.53] were significantly associated with unintended pregnancy.

In this study the prevalence of unintended pregnancy was high. Maternal age, religion, marital status, household size, parity, and region were the most important factors associated with unintended pregnancy. Special attention should, therefore, be given to younger, single, multiparous and grand multiparous women, and not follower of Muslim religion as well as mothers from large central and metropolitan regions in terms of increasing accessibility and affordability of maternal health services, which could minimize unintended pregnancy.