Explaining Areal Variations in Modern Contraceptive Use in East Africa

Steve Clements, University of Southampton
Angela Baschieri, University of Southampton
Monique Hennink, University of Southampton
Nyovani Madise, University of Southampton
Rob Stephenson, Johns Hopkins University

In sub-Saharan Africa research has concentrated on the use of any contraceptive method, rather than the use of modern methods or any examination of areal (sub-national geographic) variations in contraceptive use. Areal variations in modern contraceptive use often remain after controlling for individual and household factors. These variations could be attributed to unobserved contextual factors. This paper sets out to explain areal variations in modern contraceptive use in three East African countries using a combination of DHS data and contextual data sources, and through combining multilevel modelling and GIS techniques. The determinants of modern contraceptive use in each country will be presented. The importance of these factors in accounting for the areal variation in use will be assessed. The findings will be compared between the study countries and the relative importance of individual / household and contextual factors discussed, along with their relevance to policy.