Abstract

Background: More than 200 million women in the developing world want to avoid pregnancy but are not using a modern method of contraception.
Methods: Community based cross-sectional study was conducted from January to march 2015 in Gonji Kolela District, West Gojam Zone Amhara Region. Six hundred fourteen married women were selected using multi stage sampling techniques. The data were collected using pre-tested semi structure questionnaire by trained data collectors. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS 16.0 version. Logistic regression was done to identify factors associated with unmet need for family planning.
Results: The overall unmet need for family planning was 145 (23.8%) of which 105 (17.6%) was for spacing and 40 (6.6%) for limiting number of children. Respondents’ age (AOR=4.13, 95% CI:1.86-9.17), educational status of respondent’s partner (AOR=2.20, 95%CI:1.08-4.48), age at first marriage (AOR=2.11,95% CI:1.28-3.50), discussion on family planning with partner (AOR=0.20, 95% CI:0.12-0.34) and health extension workers (AOR=0.62, 95% CI: 0.40-0.96) in the last 12 months preceding study and decided the desire number of children before first pregnancy (AOR=0.20, 95% CI:0.12-0.33) had significance association with unmet need for family planning.
Conclusion: Considerable amounts of women had an unmet need for FP especially for spacing. Respondents age, education status of respondent’s partner, age at first marriage, discussion with partners and health extension workers about FP issues in the last 12 months prior to study and decided the desired number of children were major factors associated with unmet need for FP. Barriers of unmet need for FP shall be explored qualitatively.

Keywords: Unmet need; Family planning; Married women; Ethiopia