Contraceptive use and unmet need for family planning among women with at least one child in rural Uttar Pradesh: the role of wealth and gender composition of children

Aim Family planning has long been recognised as an effective public health intervention to reduce fertility and unwanted births. This study examines the effect of household wealth and gender composition of children on contraceptive use and unmet need for family planning. Subject and methods Our study is based on primary data collected from 460 respondents in the rural areas of the Rae Bareli district of Uttar Pradesh between September 2016 and February 2017. The representative sample comprised 460 currently married women who had at least one living child below 10 years of age. Current use of contraception and an unmet need for family planning were the outcomes variables. Descriptive statistics, a concentration curve and index for inequality, and multivariate techniques were used to examine the association between predictor and outcome variables. Results Our study showed low prevalence and substantial socio-economic differentials in contraceptive use. An unmet need for family planning was concentrated among the poor and the use of contraception was found to be more frequent among affluent women. Household wealth and gender composition of children were significantly associated with contraceptive use and unmet need for family planning. Conclusion There are substantial differentials in contraceptive use and unmet need for family planning in rural Uttar Pradesh. In addition to promoting family planning, there is a need to create an atmosphere to reduce son preference, increase the acceptance of girl babies and remove economic inequalities.