Impact of Mass Media Exposure on Family Planning: Analysis of the Ethiopian Demography and Health Survey

Abstract

Background: Mass media is a basic element of transferring valuable information on health services. As family planning is influenced by mass media, there is a need to study the impact of mass media exposure on family planning. 

Methods: Three rounds of Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey (EDHS) (2000, 2005, and 2011) datasets were analysed by bivariate and multivariate techniques. 

Results: A weighted sample of 28,161 individuals was analysed. The mean age of the study participants was 31 years. A higher number of participants were from Oromiya regional state (33%) and 87% were from rural. Married women who watched television (TV) at least once a week were two times more likely to use family planning methods than those who did not watch TV at all (AOR: 2.5, p <0.001). The odds of listening to a radio at least once a week was 1.35 (95% CI 1.179, 1.547; p <0.001). The multivariate analysis also showed that married women who had a radio in the household were 1.6 times more likely to use family planning methods than women who did not possess one (p <0.001). 

Conclusions: Mass media had a positive impact on family planning in Ethiopia. Exposures to TV, radio, and newspaper were positively associated with the use of family planning; and negatively associated with the number of desired children.