INTER-SPOUSAL COMMUNICATION AS A DETERMINANT OF CONTRACEPTIVE USE IN NIGERIA: A QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE APPROACH

 

Olawole-Isaac, A¹*, Oni Gbolahan A.²,  Oladosu Muyiwa³, Amoo Emmanuel, O.⁴  & Adekola, Paul O.⁵

 ¹Ms., Demography & Social Statistics Program, Department of Economics & Development Studies, Covenant University, Nigeria, adebanke.olawole-isaac@covenantuniversity.edu.ng

²Professor, Demography & Social Statistics Program, Department of Economics & Development Studies, Covenant University, Nigeria, gbolahan.oni@covenantuniversity.edu.ng

³Dr., Demography & Social Statistics Program, Department of Economics & Development Studies, Covenant University, Nigeria, muyiwa.oladosun@covenantuniversity.edu.ng

⁴Dr., Demography & Social Statistics Program, Department of Economics & Development Studies, Covenant University, Nigeria, emmanuel.amoo@covenantuniversity.edu.ng

⁵Mr., Demography & Social Statistics Program, Department of Economics & Development Studies, Covenant University, Nigeria, paul.adekola@covenantuniversity.edu.ng

*Corresponding author

 

 

Abstract

The need for understanding the level of communication among couples is important in reproductive health. Agreement by couples on contraceptive adoption is a major consideration if population growth will be reduced. Therefore this paper tests the hypothesis that there is no significant relationship between inter-spousal communication and contraceptive use in Nigeria. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative method of data collection. The quantitative data employed the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey Couple recode dataset, data was analyzed using Stata13. The qualitative data was analyzed using NVivo 11 software and the tape records were transcribed and analyzed using content and thematic analysis. The result showed that there is 34.70 percent explained variations (R2) in the predicted variable that are explained by the independent variables (individual socio-demographic characteristics) and intervening variables (communication) with a log likelihood ratio of –435.0011 and Probability chi² (32) = 0.0002. Model 1 and model 2 have been conducted at the bivariate level and full model at the multivariate level of analysis using binary logistic regression. Model 1 looks at the odds of using contraceptives for each of the control variable. Model 2 looks at the differentials among communication variables to estimate those that are using contraceptives as oppose to those not using. The result in model 1 shows a Log-likelihood ratio [LLR] = 2335.0875, R2 = 27.05 percent and Chi-square= 1731.32 on 29 degree of freedom while, for model 3 [LLR] = 435.0011, R2 = 34.70 percent Chi-square= 268.36 on 32 degrees of freedom, P-value = 0.002. The reduction of 1296.3189 in the Log-likelihood ratio and an increase of 7.65 percent in the R2 indicate a very good fit. The significance of the model was determined through the proximate variable on couple communication to influence contraceptive adoption. The difference in the LLR in model 1(reduced) and model 3 (full model) has a chi-square distribution with degrees of freedom equal to number of additional parameters in the full model. The difference for this analysis was 1296.3189 which on 3 degrees of freedom was highly significant (P=0.000). In the qualitative study the findings showed that couples who communicated with one another on contraceptives use and general household decisions use contraceptives and received their husband’s maximum support than others. Evidence of the hypothesis that are no significant relationship between couples communication and contraceptive use was failed to be accepted as result showed a significant relationship between couple communication and contraceptive use. Findings suggest that couples communication on contraceptive use is crucial in programmes geared to improve the uptake of contraceptives and reduce the increasing population growth in Nigeria.

 

Keywords: Inter-spousal, Communication, Contraceptive, Quantitative, Qualitative, Nigeria