Predictor Associated with Unmet Need for Family Planning among Saudi Postpartum Women: Mind the Gap.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the magnitude and related factors of the unmet need for postpartum family planning among Saudi women in Riyadh. Methods: The cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2018 among postpartum women of less than 12 months. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the required data from 400 participants in primary health care (PHC) settings in Riyadh. Logistic regression model was used to determine the factors of unmet need. Results: The proportion of unmet need for postpartum family planning among women was found to be 20.5%. Around half (55.8 %) of the participants reported that they had used family planning methods in the past. About 62% of the participants reported using modern contraceptive methods. Women over 30 years were 3 times more likely to be pregnant without using contraceptives (AOR:3.17; CI: 1.55-6.50; p: 0.002). Women who have 3 or more kids were 2.51 times more likely to experience unwanted pregnancies than women with fewer kids (OR: 2.55, CI: 1.17-5.56, p = 0.018). Conclusion: The unmet need for postpartum family planning is almost double the global average and neighbour countries. There is a need to educate women about the importance of contraceptives use in the kingdom.