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

Publication Date

1-1-2022

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

African Journal of Reproductive Health

Volume

26

Issue

12

DOI

10.29063/ajrh2022/v26i12s.5

First Page

38

Last Page

47

Abstract

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.

Funding Number

OPP1195210

Funding Sponsor

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Keywords

Adolescent, adolescent marriage, gender attitudes, Niger, reproductive health, spouses

Department

Social Work

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