Prevalence and determinants of current contraceptive method use in a palm oil company in Cameroon.

ABSTRACT

The principal reasons given by African women for not using contraception include their lack of economic power and control over their choice of partner. An epidemiologic descriptive survey of a cross-section of the female personnel of a Cameroonian palm oil company (SOCAPALM) was carried out in August 1995, to evaluate the various determinants and level of use of various family planning methods in a well defined population of women in employment. An exhaustive list of all the households in the five villages of SOCAPALM was compiled and all women between 15 and 49 years of age who had lived on the palm oil plantation for at least a year were interviewed. The adjusted odds ratios showed that use of modern contraceptive methods was significantly associated with the woman having received secondary education, having more than three children, being the head of the household and, in cases where there was a man regularly present in the household, his approval of family planning. Recently receiving information (during the last month) about family planning was not identified by multivariate analysis as a significant factor affecting the decision to use modern or traditional contraception. The same factors were found to be associated with the use of traditional methods of contraception, but having had an illegal abortion was also associated with the use of such methods. Thus, the level of knowledge about family planning and the prevalence of contraceptive use was significantly higher for women living in industrial environments (such as SOCAPALM), than in the overall population of women in Cameroon. The economic power of the woman, the presence of a strong social reproductive health network, and the positive attitude of men and community leaders were the most important factors affecting the family planning decision of the women.

ABSTRACT

PIP The prevalence and determinants of contraceptive usage were investigated in a cross-sectional study of female workers at a palm oil company in Kienke, Cameroon. All 385 women 15-49 years of age (mean age, 29.8 years) who had lived on the palm oil plantation for at least a year and were at risk of pregnancy were interviewed. 28% of respondents reported ever-use of modern contraception and 21% had used traditional methods; use rates at the time of interview were 10% and 16%, respectively. Multivariate analysis indicated use of modern contraceptive methods was significantly associated with a secondary education or higher, having more than three children, being the head of the household, and (if a man was present in the household) partner approval of family planning. These same factors, with the addition of a history of illegal abortion, were significant determinants of use of traditional methods. Receipt of family planning information in the previous month was not a significant determinant of use of either modern or traditional contraception. The higher prevalence of contraceptive use among women living in this industrial environment relative to women in other parts of Cameroon or in west and central Africa suggests the salience of economic power to women's contraceptive use patterns.