Nuances of reproductive decisions by women in a rural community of Lagos, Nigeria

INTRODUCTION: inadequate utilization of maternal health services due to limited reproductive decision-making capacity could be contributory to high maternal mortality in developing countries. This study sought to assess nuances of reproductive decisions by women in a rural community of Lagos, Nigeria. METHODS: this descriptive, cross-sectional house to house survey was part of a study conducted in April 2015 on females selected from 298 households chosen based on geographical clusters by simple random sampling. The study instrument was adapted from a USAID-funded project and was interviewer-administered. Data entry and analysis were performed with the aid of Epi-info™ 7.0.8.3 statistical software and ethical approval was obtained for the study. RESULTS: spousal age difference was less than 10 years for about half (51.3%) of the respondents. The majority (91.6%) of the respondents had received antenatal care during pregnancy and jointly decided with their spouses on place of care. The most commonly used contraceptives were the pills (23.5%), injectables (16.8%) and condoms (13.8%). Spousal disapproval regarding the use of family planning was almost nil at 1%. Employment status as a socio-economic factor did not significantly affect respondents´ involvement in decision-making. However, there were statistically significant associations between spousal age differences and some indicators of autonomy such as respondents´ involvement in health care decisions and the determinant on choice of antenatal care provider. CONCLUSION: women´s reproductive independence and involvement in health decisions could result in reduction of maternal ill-health and mortality whilst promoting higher male involvement and better maternal health.