Prevalence and sociodemographic determinants of contraceptive use among women in Oman

Background: The fertility rate in Oman is high, as found elsewhere in Arab countries. The government of Oman has made considerable improvements in providing contraceptive methods in response to growing demand. Aims: This study aimed to find out the prevalence of contraceptive usage and determine the sociodemographic determinants of its use among married Omani women. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in 12 health centres which were randomly selected from each county (Wilayat) in Muscat region. A total of 400 women aged 18-49 years old who had not reached menopause were subjected to a face-to-face interview. Information was obtained on sociodemographic characteristics and family planning practice. Results: Majority of women (n=397; 99.2%) had heard about family planning. More than half (n=225; 56.3%) knew about family planning and only three (0.8%) did not know its meaning. The contraceptive pill was the most common known method (n=383; 95.8%), while vaginal cream was the least recognized method (n=67; 16.8%). Most of the participants (n=307; 76.8%) reported previous use of these methods and 54% (n=214) were current users. Withdrawal was the most frequently used method (n=7o; 32.7%) and breast-feeding was the least used method (n=3;1.4%). Contraception use increased significantly with age (P < 0.005), duration of marriage (P < 0.005) and high monthly income (P < 0.005). Conclusions: Health care providers play a key role in providing information and education about family planning. Efforts are recommended in educating couples and promoting the use of the different family planning methods.