Does a Couple’s Marital Quality Influence the Quality of Their Contraceptive Use?

Neetu A. John, Johns Hopkins University
Assefa Seme, Addis Ababa University
Meselech Roro, Addis Ababa University
Amy Tsui, Johns Hopkins University

Background: In western settings contraceptive adoption has been found to be associated with marital quality (MQ). Very few studies have examined this relationship for African couples. Our study asks whether and how a couple’s MQ, measured in terms of trust, commitment, and conflict scales, influences their contraceptive use, as defined by the spouse’s report of any use, type of method used and length of continuous use ? Methods: Longitudinal data from a peri-urban Ethiopia site was used for the analysis. Logistic, multinomial and Cox regression models were estimated. Results: While the wife’s MQ did not influence her contraceptive use, the husbands’ scores raised the odds of use. Both partners’ scores were significantly associated with type of method used. Only the males’ MQ was positively associated with the females’ length of use. Conclusion: These findings show MQ and contraceptive use behaviors are associated, although the structures of these relationships are complex and gendered.