Use of postpartum intrauterine contraceptive device among women in northern Uganda: A cross‐sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with postpartum intrauterine contraceptive device use among postpartum mothers in Lira district, northern Uganda. Methods: We designed a cross‐sectional study among postpartum mothers with the outcome as postpartum intrauterine contraceptive device use defined as the insertion of an intrauterine contraceptive device within 10 min to 48 h following placental delivery. Data were collected using a researcher‐administered structured questionnaire. We descriptively summarized numerical data using the mean and the standard deviation and categorical data using frequency and percentages. We performed bivariate analysis using either the χ2 test or Fisher's exact test, and determined factors associated with the outcome using binary logistic regression analysis at a 5% level of statistical significance. We reported the results as adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Of 384 postpartum women studied, 37 (9.6%) had used a postpartum intrauterine contraceptive device and the associated factors included maternal age <35 years with aOR of 0.12 (95% CI: 0.02, 0.72), parity ≥3 with aOR of 4.25 (95% CI: 1.79, 11.03), at least secondary level of education with aOR of 0.27 (95% CI: 0.07, 0.92) and knowledge of adverse effects of a postpartum intrauterine contraceptive device with aOR of 9.56 (95% CI: 4.13, 24.36). Conclusions: The prevalence of postpartum intrauterine contraceptive device use is low in this setting. Interventions to improve the use of a postpartum intrauterine contraceptive device such as health education should target younger and multiparous women including those without adequate knowledge about it.