Table 3

Factors associated with modern contraception use among unmarried-sexually active women aged 15–19 years in Mwanza, Tanzania, (N=744)*

Exposure categoryNoPrevalence, n (%)Unadjusted OR (95% CI)P valueAdjusted OR (95% CI)P value
Sociodemographic factors
 Age (years)
  156220 (32.3)
  168230 (36.6)
  1716179 (49.1)
  18199107 (53.8)
  19240126 (52.5)
  Per year increase1.2 (1.1 to 1.4)0.01
 Religion
  Catholic309145 (46.9)10.1
  Protestant/other Christian320149 (46.6)0.99 (0.77 to 1.3)
  Muslim11266 (58.9)1.6 (1.1 to 2.4)
  No religion32 (66.7)2.3 (0.50 to 10.2)0.1
 Highest educational achieved†
  No education217 (33.3)11
  Primary320127 (39.7)1.3 (0.39 to 4.5)1.4 (0.40 to 4.7)
  Secondary392221 (56.4)2.6 (0.83 to 8.0)2.5 (0.78 to 8.1)
  University117 (63.6)3.5 (1.2 to 9.8)0.00063.0 (1.0 to 9.0)0.004
 Currently in educational training†
  Yes15289 (58.6)10.00810.002
  No592273 (46.1)0.61 (0.43 to 0.86)0.52 (0.36 to 0.75)
 Type of area of residence†
  Semiurban290140 (48.3)10.82
  Urban454222 (48.9)1.0 (0.82 to 1.3)
 Socioeconomic level†
  Lowest quintile8736 (41.4)11
  Second lowest quintile13162 (47.3)1.3 (0.71 to 2.3)1.2 (0.70 to 2.1)
  Middle quintile8243 (52.4)1.6 (0.80 to 3.0)1.5 (0.72 to 3.1)
  Second highest quintile12559 (47.2)1.3 (0.70 to 2.3)1.2 (0.60 to 2.3)
  Highest quintile13579 (58.5)2.0 (1.1 to 3.6)0.081.9 (1.1 to 3.4)0.09
Exposure to information about contraception
 Heard about contraception in the media in last 12 months‡
  Yes309174 (56.3)11
  No435188 (43.2)0.59 (0.42 to 0.83)0.0040.58 (0.35 to 0.95)0.03
 Heard about contraception from health sector sources in last 12 months
  Yes213101 (47.4)1
  No531261 (49.2)1.1 (0.71 to 1.6)0.73
 Heard about contraception from interpersonal sources in last 12 months‡
  Yes487261 (53.6)11
  No257101 (39.3)0.56 (0.40 to 0.78)0.0020.61 (0.42 to 0.90)0.01
 Know of a place where or person from whom she would feel comfortable accessing contraception‡
  Yes400213 (53.3)11
  No343149 (43.4)0.67 (0.50 to 0.92)0.010.69 (0.46 to 1.0)0.07
Social Networks
 Perceives that partner supports her using contraception‡
  Yes430264 (61.4)11
  No14040 (28.6)0.25 (0.18 to 0.35)0.29 (0.21 to 0.42)
  Do not know14453 (36.8)0.37 (0.24 to 0.55)<0.00010.32 (0.20 to 0.52)<0.0001
 Perceives that mother supports her using contraception‡
  Yes299160 (53.5)11
  No19089 (46.8)0.77 (0.53 to 1.1)0.87 (0.56 to 1.4)
  Do not know21797 (44.7)0.70 (0.54 to 0.92)0.050.73 (0.48 to 1.1)0.32
 Perceives that friends supports her using contraception‡
  Yes430240 (55.8)11
  No10044 (44.0)0.62 (0.45 to 0.86)0.55 (0.34 to 0.88)
  Do not know20776 (36.7)0.46 (0.33 to 0.63)0.00040.42 (0.29 to 0.61)0.0004
Individual knowledge, attitudes and behaviours
 Knowledge about contraception‡§
  0–13712 (32.4)11
  2–3243104 (42.8)1.6 (0.98 to 2.5)1.9 (1.0 to 3.4)
  4–5464246 (53.0)2.4 (1.4 to 4.0)0.012.4 (1.2 to 4.6)0.05
 Misconceptions about contraception‡¶
  0–1258114 (44.2)11
  2–3375185 (49.3)1.2 (0.80 to 1.9)0.93 (0.58 to 1.5)
  411163 (56.8)1.7 (0.96 to 2.9)0.191.4 (0.82 to 2.4)0.34
 Self-efficacy for contraception‡**
  0–211728 (23.9)11
  3–4626334 (53.4)3.6 (2.4 to 5.5)<0.00012.4 (1.5 to 4.1)0.002
 Timing of most recent sexual activity
  Within last week4824 (50.0)1
  Within last month207110 (53.1)1.1 (0.58 to 2.2)
  Within last year489228 (46.6)0.87 (0.47 to 1.6)0.42
 No of living children‡
  No children638321 (50.3)11
  One child or more10641 (38.7)0.62 (0.44 to 0.89)0.010.57 (0.39 to 0.85)0.008
  • P value from design based Wald test.

  • *Numbers and percentages may not match exactly because the analysis used sampling weights to account for the sampling design.

  • †Adjusted ORs: adjusted for age and religion.

  • ‡Adjusted ORs: adjusted for age, religion, highest education level achieved, currently in education and socioeconomic position.

  • §Scored based on the responses to the following five questions: (1) preventing unintended pregnancies is a benefit of contraception, (2) preventing abortions is a benefit of contraception, (3) some contraceptive methods reduce sexually transmitted infections/HIV, (4) modern contraception can help with child spacing and (5) using modern contraception can allow a woman to complete her education, take up better economic opportunities and fulfil her potential.

  • ¶Scored based on the responses to the following four questions: (1) use of a long-acting reversible contraceptive can make adolescent women permanently infertile, (2) changes to normal menstrual bleeding patterns, which is caused by some contraceptives, are harmful to health, (3) modern contraceptives can make adolescent women permanently fat and (4) adolescent women who use family planning/birth spacing may become promiscuous.

  • **Scored based on the responses to the following four questions: (1) felt able to start a conversation with her partner about contraception, (2) felt able to use a method of contraception even if her partner did not want her to, (3) felt able to obtain information on contraception services and products if she needed to and (4) felt able to obtain a contraceptive method if she decided to use one.