Microfinance participation and contraceptive use: does control over resources matter?

Abstract

Background: The purpose of the present study was to assess the association between microfinance and contraceptive use. A secondary purpose of the study was to assess the role of control over resources between microfinance participation and contraceptive use.

Method: Using secondary data from Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2011 the present study conducted logistic regression analysis to estimate the interaction effect of microfinance participation and control over resources on reported contraceptive use.

Results: Findings indicate that microfinance participants are 1.69 times more likely to use contraceptive (P < 0.001), and women with control over resources are 4.28 times more likely to use contraceptive (P < 0.001). However, the interaction effect of microfinance participation and control over resources suggest that microfinance participants with control over resources are less likely to use contraceptive, but that finding is not significant.

Conclusion: While control over resources matter the most in terms of women's use of contraceptive, this does not hold true for microfinance participants with control over resources.

Keywords: Bangladesh; contraceptive use; control over resources; micro-entrepreneurship; microfinance.