Authors: Timothee Fruhauf, Linnea Zimmerman, Simon Peter Sebina Kibira, Fredrick Makumbi, Peter Gichangi, Solomon Shiferaw, Assefa Seme, Georges Guiella, & Amy Tsui
Journal: Health Policy and Planning, 33(7). July 2018
This article documents the development of a composite score for family planning service quality based on health facility data and examines the influence of service quality on contraceptive practice based on data from Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda.
Differences in the definitions and measures of family planning service quality have led to differing conclusions regarding the relationship between facility quality and contraceptive use. To address this, researchers developed a composite measure based on evidence on the components of family planning service quality and linked it to individual-level data using PMA2020 service delivery point and female questionnaires. This information was used to examine the impact of service quality on modern contraceptive use. The researchers found:
- Before adjusting for distance and facility type, facility quality is positively associated with the use of modern contraceptive methods and short-acting methods in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, and Uganda, but not in Kenya.
- After adjusting for distance and facility type, quality of family planning services in public facilities is positively associated with use of modern contraceptive methods and short-acting methods in Ethiopia and Uganda, though the association in Uganda is not statistically significant.
- Quality of family planning services can be an important factor affecting contraceptive use and should be considered when developing strategies to increase or sustain contraceptive use.