Research Article

Inequalities in the Use of Family Planning in Rural Nepal

Table 1

Prevalence of use of any modern method, permanent method, long-acting and short-acting family planning methods by married women of reproductive age (MWRA) residing in rural areas.


Not using any methodAny modern methodPermanent method Long-acting reversible method Short-acting methodTotal no. of MWRA in rural areas
% (95% CI)% (95% CI)% (95% CI)% (95% CI)% (95% CI)

All MWRA417256.0 (53.2–58.9)303340.7 (37.9–43.7)133017.9 (15.6–20.4)1692.3 (1.7–3.1)153420.6 (18.2–23.2)7442
Age-group
 15–24 years 131571.7 (68.0–75.1)42323.1 (19.6–26.9)271.5 (0.8–2.5)271.4 (0.9–2.3)37020.2 (17.0–23.8)1833
 25–34 years159154.9 (51.2–58.5)121341.8 (38.2–45.6)44915.5 (12.8–18.6)722.5 (1.7–3.5)69223.9 (20.5–27.6)2899
 35–49 years126646.7 (43.0–50.4)139751.5 (47.9–55.2)85431.5 (27.6–35.6)712.6 (1.9–3.7)47217.4 (14.8–20.4)2711
Level of education
 Never attended school246555.0 (51.0–59.0)190842.6 (38.7–46.6)102422.9 (19.6–26.5)982.2 (1.6–3.0)78517.5 (14.6–20.9)4481
 Primary52055.4 (51.3–59.5)38440.9 (36.6–45.4)12012.8 (10.0–16.3)212.3 (1.3–4.0)24325.8 (22.2–29.9)939
 Secondary97258.6 (55.5–61.6)61437.0 (34.0–40.1)17310.4 (8.5–12.7)442.7 (1.8–3.9)39723.9 (21.5–26.6)1659
 Higher education21358.8 (52.2–65.0)12735.1 (28.8–41.9)123.4 (1.8–6.6)61.7 (0.7–3.8)10930.0 (23.6–37.3)362
Wealth quintile
 First 84555.9 (51.5–60.3)63441.9 (37.6–46.3)28218.6 (15.4–22.3)312.1 (1.2–3.5)32121.2 (17.0–26.1)1512
 Second103556.6 (52.5–60.6)75041.0 (37.0–45.2)29115.9 (13.2–19.1)522.9 (1.8–4.5)40722.3 (18.9–26.1)1828
 Third105559.3 (55.0–63.6)66837.6 (33.4–41.9)31717.9 (14.6–21.6)311.7 (1.0–3.1)32018.0 (14.6–22.0)1778
 Fourth85155.7 (51.1–60.3)61240.1 (35.5–44.8)27117.7 (14.7–21.2)372.4 (1.5–3.8)30419.9 (16.1–24.4)1527
 Fifth38548.3 (43.7–52.9)36946.2 (42.0–50.6)16921.2 (16.8–26.3)182.3 (1.3–3.9)18222.8 (19.1–27.0)798
Caste/ethnic group
 Brahmin/Chhetri99354.2 (50.4–58.0)77242.1 (38.0–46.4)35519.3 (15.5–23.9)422.3 (1.5–3.6)37520.5 (17.0–24.4)1833
 Terai Madheshi other caste66560.4 (53.8–66.7)40536.7 (31.0–42.9)29626.9 (21.0–33.8)60.5 (0.2–1.2)1029.3 (5.4–15.5)1101
 Dalit56559.1 (54.4–63.6)35937.6 (33.1–42.3)16016.7 (12.7–21.7)212.2 (1.3–3.9)17818.6 (14.8–23.1)956
 Newar7540.0 (31.4–49.2)10958.0 (48.6–66.9)3317.7 (10.9–27.3)21.1 (0.2–4.8)7439.2 (30.4–48.8)188
 Janajati155253.0 (49.3–56.6)128243.8 (40.1–47.5)44515.2 (12.0–19.0)943.2 (2.2–4.6)74325.4 (22.4–28.6)2929
 Muslim26387.9 (79.3–93.3)299.7 (5.0–18.1)113.7 (1.6–8.1)10.4 (0.1–1.9)175.6 (2.4–12.6)299
 Other5742.3 (32.9–52.2)7756.7 (47.4–65.6)3022.0 (15.7–30.1)21.5 (0.3–7.6)4533.2 (24.1–43.8)136
Time taken to nearest
Government health facility
 <30 minutes142557.2 (52.2–62.0)98339.4 (34.8–44.2)47719.1 (16.1–22.6)612.5 (1.5–3.9)44517.8 (14.5–21.7)2493
 30–60 minutes112453.1 (49.2–57.0)91943.4 (39.4–47.6)46221.8 (18.1–26.1)552.6 (1.6–4.2)40319.0 (15.8–22.7)2117
 >60 minutes162357.3 (53.4–61.0)113139.9 (36.0–44.0)39113.8 (10.9–17.4)531.9 (1.3–2.8)68624.2 (21.0–27.8)2834
Ecological zone
 Mountain25347.1 (39.7–54.7)25547.4 (39.3–55.6)10619.6 (10.1–34.6)142.5 (1.3–5.0)13625.2 (19.0–32.6)538
 Hill194058.3 (54.1–62.3)132439.8 (35.4–44.3)38811.7 (8.6–15.6)912.7 (1.7–4.3)84525.4 (21.8–29.3)3328
 Terai197955.3 (50.8–59.8)145540.7 (36.6–44.9)83623.4 (20.2–26.9)651.8 (1.2–2.6)55315.5 (12.7–18.7)3577

Note: Numbers may not sum to total due to rounding.