title: Spousal communication on family planning and perceived social support for contraceptive practices in a sample of Malaysian women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Malaysia, contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) during past three decades has been steady, with only 34% of women practicing modern contraception. The aim of this study was to determine the factors associated with modern contraceptive practices with a focus on spousal communication and perceived social support among married women working in the university.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was carried out using self-administered structured questionnaire. The association between variables were assessed using Chi-square test, independent sample t-test, and logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 36.8% of women used modern contraceptive methods. Significant association was found between contraceptive practice and ethnicity (P = 0.003), number of pregnancies (P < 0.001), having child (P = 0.003), number of children (P < 0.001), positive history of mistimed pregnancy (P = 0.006), and experience of unwanted pregnancy (P = 0.003). The final model showed Malay women were 92% less likely to use modern contraception as compared to non-Malay women. Women who discussed about family planning with their spouses were more likely to practice modern contraception than the women who did not [odds ratio (OR): 2.2, Confidence Interval (CI): 1.3-3.7]. Those women with moderate (OR: 4.9, CI: 1.6-10.8) and strong (OR: 14, CI: 4.5-26.4) perception of social support for contraceptive usage were more likely to use modern contraception than the women with poor perception of social support.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Spousal communication regarding family planning would be an effective way to motivate men for supporting and using contraceptives. Family planning education initiatives should target both men and women, particularly high-risk cases, for promoting healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies. Ethnic disparities need to be considered in planning reproductive health programs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, School of Health, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Najafi-Sharjabad
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University Putra Malaysia, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Hejar Abdul
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University Putra Malaysia, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Muhamad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hanafiah
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University Putra Malaysia, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Sharifah Zainiyah
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Syed Yahya
keywords: Contraceptive practices; family planning; social support; spousal communication