Predictors of long-acting contraceptive utilization hot spots in Ethiopia: using geographical weighted regression analysis.

Background: The use of long-acting contraceptives is a common health challenge in Ethiopia. Therefore, the current study aimed to assess the determinants of using long-acting contraceptive hot spots in Ethiopia using data from the Ethiopian Mini Demographic and Health Survey for 2019.

Methods: This study used data from the Ethiopia Mini Demographic and Health Survey 2019 and included a total weighted sample of 8,885 women in the analysis. The geographical variation of long-acting contraceptive usage was initially observed using hot spot analysis. Arc GIS version 10.7 was used for geographically weighted regression. Ordinarily, least squares regression was performed to identify predictors that explain the geographical variation in the use of long-acting contraceptives. Geographic weighted regression was used to predict the hot spot area of long-acting contraceptive methods.

Results: The overall prevalence of long-acting contraceptive utilization use was 6.9% (95% confidence interval: 6.4-7.45). Most of the statistically significant hot spots for long-acting contraceptives were found in lactated areas of the Oromia part of Amhara and Dire Dawa. Primary education, followers of the Muslim religion, marital status, and women with >4 children were the determinants of spatial variation use of hot spot areas for long-acting contraceptive methods.

Conclusions: A detailed map of long-acting contraceptive use hot spots and their determinants will enable decisions to target their sociodemographic-related predictors of women.