Effect of unmet need for contraception on child survival: evidence from Nigeria

Globally, about 7 million under-five children die every year. Meanwhile, family planning is recognized as the pillar of safe motherhood and improved child health outcomes. Evidence showed that promotion of family planning has the potential of averting 32% of all maternal deaths and 10% of childhood deaths. Thus, the relevant question would seem to suggest whether unmet needs for contraception could lead to increased risk of under-five mortality. The objective of this paper is to examine whether unmet needs for contraception could result in increased risk of under-five mortality in Nigeria. The study draws on 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. Cox regression analysis was performed on a nationally representative sample of 28,647 children to examine the effect of contraceptive use and unmet need on child survival; while adjusting for the effects of other important covariates. Findings indicate a significantly lower risk of death for children whose mothers were using contraceptives (hazard ratio: 0.54,p<0.001); and for children whose mothers had no unmet need for contraception (hazard ratio 0.89,p<0.05) compared with those in the reference category. The findings of this study suggest the importance of contraceptive use in the pursuit of the Millennium Development Goal four in Nigeria.