Exploring Disparities in Modern Spacing Contraceptive Use among Tribal and Non-Tribal Women in India: Evidence from NFHS-5

Background: Girls in tribal communities get married immediately after attaining menarche in India. Most tribal women do not opt for modern spacing contraceptive use, as there is a lack of adequate knowledge and awareness to make an informed choice regarding the same. As a consequence of this, tribal women often face several problems related to their reproductive health. The present study examin the use of modern spacing contraceptive with socio-demographic factors affecting its usage among tribal and non-tribal and spatial variance at state and district level in India Methods:We included 5,12,408 married women (tribal and non-tribal) in the 15 to 49 years from National Family Health Survey -5, which was conducted during the years 2019 to 2021. Descriptive statistics were used to compute the prevalence of modern spacing contraceptive use along with a 95% confidence interval (CI) as a measure. The association between various socio-demographic predictors and modern spacing contraceptive usage was assessed by logistic regression. Results: The overall prevalence of modern spacing contraceptive practices was found to be low among tribal compared to non-tribal women, which was below the national average. Age of the respondent, level of education, religion, number of children, exposure to media, place of residence and regions were significantly associated with the use of modern spacing methods among tribal women in India. Across regions, the usage of modern methods for tribal women tends to be higher in the northeastern and western states of India, with Sikkim being the highest. Conclusion: There is an immediate need to improve access to modern spacing contraceptive methods and reduce unmet needs for contraceptives among tribal women. There is a requirement for sustained and targeted efforts from healthcare workers towards tribal communities to create awareness and better access to modern spacing methods. Key words: Modern Spacing Method, Tribal and Non-tribal, Socio-economic