Decision Making Autonomy Over Selected Reproductive Health Service Utilization And Associated Factors Among Currently Married Women In Seden Sodo District, Oromia, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Women’s decision-making autonomy on reproductive health is the ability of women to decide independently on their reproductive health concerns. Women’s decision making autonomy undoubtedly contributes to many health advantages for both the mother and their children. In Ethiopia, evidence regarding women’s decision-making autonomy on reproductive health service utilization and associated factors is limited and inconclusive. Objective: To assess the level of decision-making autonomy over selected reproductive health service utilization and its associated factors among currently married women in Seden Sodo district, Oromia, Ethiopia, January, 2023. Methods: Community-based cross-sectional study design mixed approach quantitative triangulated with qualitative study was applied from December 20, 2022 to January 20, 2023 among 594 randomly selected currently married women in the reproductive age group who have at least one child and among purposively selected 16 key informants. Collected data was entered in to Epi-data version 4.6 and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Binary logistic regression were used to identify associated factors. Variables with a p-value less than 0.05 at 95% CI were declared significant and the association was measured by AOR. Results: Level of autonomous decision making among currently married women over selected reproductive health service utilization was 53.2% (95% CI: 49%, 57%). Age of respondent 25- 34 years AOR:1.93(95% CI:1.01,3.72), women’s formal education AOR:0.47(95% CI:0.30,0.76), women being merchant AOR:6.88(95% CI: 3.12,15.14), husband’s formal education AOR:3.51(95%CI: 2.10,5.90), age of first marriage >18 AOR: 5.49(95% CI: 3.20,9.43), parity of 4 or less AOR: 0.04(95% CI: 0.02,0.09) and positive perception AOR:2.08(CI:1.05,4.12) were variables significantly associated with women decision making autonomy. Conclusion and Recommendation: Autonomous decision making among currently married women over selected reproductive health service utilization was low. Women’s age, women’s education, women’s occupation, husband’s education, age of first marriage, parity and perception were found to influence women’s decision making autonomy. Intervention targeting women’s autonomy on decision making with regard to reproductive health services utilization should focus on addressing increasing awareness and priority should be given to women with lower socio-economic status.