Factors associated with contraceptive use in Tehran, Iran.
OBJECTIVE
In spite of the government's efforts, the prevalence of contraceptive use in Iran is only 55.4%. Health concerns, side effects, failure of the methods and some demographic issues, among which education, age, and number of daughters, have a great influence on the enforcement of contraceptive measures. The aim of the present study was to identify factors affecting contraceptive use in Iran.


METHODS
Data from the project 'The study of contraceptive practice in Tehran, 1999-2000' were analyzed with regard to the factors associated with contraceptive use by Iranian couples. A total of 4042 women at reproductive ages who had delivered in one of the 12 teaching hospitals of Tehran and had at least one child that lived for at least 24 hours after birth, were interviewed using a questionnaire that gathered information about their socio-demographic status, fertility history, and other characteristics.


RESULTS
Using a multinomial logistic regression, it was found that the woman's age, her own or her husband's level of education, previous awareness about contraceptive methods, number of abortions, and number of sons and daughters were factors that were significantly associated with contraceptive use.


CONCLUSIONS
A number of factors affect the application of contraceptive measures. It is essential that health policy makers be aware of these to promote contraception and population control.
Sadat-Hashemi
Seyed Mahdi
SM
Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran. sadat-hashemi@sem-ums.ac.ir
Ghorbani
Raheb
R
Majdabadi
Hesamodin Askari
HA
Farahani
Farideh Khalajabadi
FK
D000328:Adult; D003268:Contraception Behavior / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D003270:Contraceptive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007492:Iran; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy
D003270:Contraceptive Agents