Family planning knowledge and current use of contraception among the Mru indigenous women in Bangladesh: a multivariate analysis

M Rakibul Islam¹, Gunnar Thorvaldsen<sup>2

1</sup>Bangladesh Agricultural University, Bangladesh; ²Norwegian Historical Data Centre, University of Tromsø, Norway

Background: This article aims to understand the family planning (FP) knowledge and current use of contraception and its predictors among women of the Mru people – the most underprivileged indigenous community in Bangladesh.
Methods: In this study, 374 currently married Mru women were interviewed and selected purposively from three upazilas (administrative subdistricts) of the Bandarban area, where most of the Mru people live. The association between the variables was assessed in bivariate analysis using the Chi-square test and binary logistic regression models were employed to explore the predictors of FP knowledge and current use of contraception among the Mru women.
Results: Only about 40% of respondents had ever heard FP messages or about FP methods – two-fifths of the national figure (99.9%). The current use of contraception was much lower (25.1%) among the Mru people than at the national level (55.8%). Among both modern and traditional methods, the contraceptive pill ranked first. About two-thirds (66.0%) of married women used this method – more than two times than the national figure (28.5%). On the other hand, the prevalence of male methods was comparatively lower than at the national level. Logistic regression models revealed that place of residence, religion, age, school attendance, husband's school attendance, service provided in the community, distance to the service center, and exposure to mass media had significant effects on knowledge of FP and on use of contraception.
Conclusion: Education for mothers and vernacular language-based doorstep FP programs with special emphasis on awareness are suggested for the community.

Keywords: family planning, contraceptive use, the Mru, logistic regression, Bangladesh