Self-perceived health status and contraceptive use: empirical evidence from Ghana’s Demographic and Health Survey

BACKGROUND: Unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions worsen maternal health. Although contraception can lower maternal mortality, its use is still limited. Additionally, self-perceived health (SPH) status affects contraceptive uptake but is often ignored; this study examines its impact on Ghanaian women of reproductive age. METHODS: We used data from the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS, 2022), comprising 12 407 women ages 15-49 y. Given the potential endogeneity between SPH and contraceptive use, we employed the conditional mixed process estimator, jointly modelling a probit model for contraceptive use and an ordered probit for SPH status while examining the effects of SPH status on contraceptive use among women of reproductive age in Ghana. RESULTS: The results show that SPH status significantly influences the use of contraceptives among women of childbearing age in Ghana. Other factors include age, marital status, termination of pregnancy, wealth status, level of education, knowledge of the ovulatory system, information on family planning, religion, visit to a health facility, recent sexual activity and lifetime sex partners. CONCLUSION: Healthcare providers should explicitly seek the opinion of women during family planning consultations to improve contraceptive advice.