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Abstract

The objectives of this quantitative study were to identify factors associated with contraceptive use by Jordanian Muslim women; to estimate factors that predict the variance in contraceptive use; and recommend appropriate health and social policies to enhance quality of life of Jordanian women. A cross -sectional design was used to collect data from 487 married non-pregnant women aged 18 to 49 years who resided in three southern governorates in Jordan using a structured interview guide. Results showed that 63.2% of women used some form of contraceptive method; IUD was the most frequently used method (44.2%). The percentage of women exposed to violence was 5% and 9.2% for physical and verbal abuse respectively. Findings also showed that there was a significant relationship between psychological wellbeing of women and contraceptive use. Furthermore, no relationship between women’s perceived religious stance towards contraceptives and their use. Predictors of contraceptive use were: women aged 40-45 years explained 23.3% of the variance in contraceptive use; and the woman’s approval of contraceptive use for birth spacing explained 21.4% of the variance in contraceptive use. The Islamic stance towards contraceptive use was not significant in these women; however further studies are needed to confirm these findings as well as the generalizability to Muslim women in other countries. The study findings have implications for health and social policies relevant to family planning services in order to enhance and increase the use of contraceptives to reduce the TFR in Jordan. Furthermore, health care providers, social and economical policy makers need to integrate women’s cultural views and contraceptive use in strategies and policies beyond health to improve women’s quality of life and build on the global consensus for women and children to achieve the Millennium Development goals.

Author Biography

Muntaha K. Gharaibeh, RN, PhD Dean of Nursing and Associate Professor Director of the WHOCC for Human Resource Development. Jordan University of Science and Technology

Arwa Oweis, RN, DNSc Associate Professor and Vice Dean Jordan University of Science and Technology Faculty of Nursing

Farouk MN Shakhatreh, MD, MSc, PhD Professor Family and Community Medicine Faculty of Medicine-Jordan University Amman-Jordan

Erika Sivarajan Froelicher, RN, MA, MPH, PhD Professor Department of Physiological Nursing, School of Nursing, and Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Medicine University of California San Francisco

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