Examining the prevalence and determinants of unmet family planning needs among women in Ekiti State, Nigeria

Nigeria's estimated population is more than 216,000,000, with an annual growth rate of more than 2.50 percent and 40 percent of the total population living below the poverty line. To reduce population growth rate and enhance maternal and child health outcomes, there is a need to close the unmet needs for family planning gap in Nigeria. Ekiti State is one of the states in Nigeria with the highest prevalence (18.2%) of unmet family planning needs. Therefore, using a sample of 244 respondents, the study examined the prevalence and determinants of unmet needs for family planning among sexually active women of reproductive age in Ekiti State, Nigeria using a structured questionnaire. In a binary logistic regression model, the association between socioeconomic characteristics and unmet needs for family planning was determined using an adjusted odds ratio. Unmet needs for family planning were prevalent at 21.72 percent, with 10.25 percent being unmet needs for spacing and 11.48 percent being unmet needs for limiting. Women's education, age, religion and number of living children were determinants of unmet family planning needs in the study area. Efforts should be undertaken in Ekiti State, Nigeria to empower married women via education. To lower the unmet needs for family planning among married women of reproductive age in Ekiti State, Nigeria, the study recommends that population policy, programme and intervention strategies should include women’s education, age, religion and number of living children.