Abstract:
Unintended pregnancy remains a significant public health issue worldwide,
affecting nearly 48% of pregnancies annually. Contributing factors include
Sociodemographic factors, reproductive factors, contraceptive knowledge and utilization and
social and behavioural factors. However, there is a scarcity of regional data regarding the
prevalence and associated factors of unintended pregnancy, particularly in Harari Region,
Eastern Ethiopia.
Objective: To determine the prevalence of unintended pregnancy and its associated factors
among pregnant women attending public health facilities in Harari Region, Eastern Ethiopia,
from October 1 to October 31, 2024.
Method: This institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 499 randomly
selected pregnant women attending public health facilities in Harari Region. Data were
collected using a pretested, structured questionnaire through face-to-face interviews. The data
were entered into Epidata version 4.6 and analysed using SPSS version 27. Descriptive
statistics were used to summarize participant characteristics. Bivariable and multivariable
logistic regression analyses were performed to identify associated factors. Adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated, with significance set at P-value <0.05.
Result: 495 women participated, resulting in a 99.2% response rate. The prevalence of
unintended pregnancy was 31.21% (95% CI: 26.23–35.65). Factors significantly associated
with unintended pregnancy included: Unmarried women had higher adjusted odds of
unintended pregnancy (AOR = 4.11, 95% CI: 1.10–7.22).Women dissatisfied with their
marriages had higher odds of unintended pregnancies (AOR = 6.82, 95% CI: 1.90–
10.76).Women with shorter birth intervals had increased odds (AOR = 2.27, 95% CI: 1.12–
5.90).Having more children was associated with higher odds of unintended pregnancies
(AOR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.22–6.34).Women whose last child was male had lower odds of
unintended pregnancies (AOR = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.33–0.83). Substance use was associated
with higher odds of unintended pregnancies (AOR = 4.21, 95% CI: 1.98–6.87)
Conclusion: Unintended pregnancy remains a significant public health issue with a
prevalence of 31.21%.marital status, marital dissatisfaction, and short birth intervals, higher
number of children, the sex of the last child, and substance use are significantly associated with unintended pregnancies.
