Unmet need for postpartum family planning and influencing factors in China

To explore the rate and influencing factors of unmet need for postpartum family planning (PPFP) in China. We conducted a retrospective cohort study at 60 hospitals in 15 provinces that were in eastern, central, and western regions of China. Participants were women who delivered a live birth at the study sites with an interval of 13 to 24 months between delivery and interviews. We selected participants using cluster randomization approach, and the first 300 postpartum women who gave a birth at each study hospital after the initial month that had been selected were interviewed. Information on the women’s background characteristics, pregnancy history, time when menstruation and sexual activity resumed after childbirth, the adoption of contraceptive method, breastfeeding, and any pregnancy or pregnancy outcome after delivery were collected. We performed life-table analysis to estimate the rate of unmet need for PPFP and a 2-level logistic regression model to explore factors that influence unmet need for PPFP within the first 24 months postpartum. A total, 19,939 postpartum women were screened in this study, of which, 17,466 (87.6%) were eligible for this analysis. The rates of unmet needs for any FP methods were 23.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 23.3–24.6%), 11.8% (95%CI 11.3–12.3%); 10.6% (95%CI 10.1–11.1%) at 6, 12, and 24 months postpartum; these rates for modern FP methods were 35.5% (95%CI 34.7–36.2%), 25.6% (95%CI 24.9–26.2%), and 24.6% (95%CI 23.9–25.2%), respectively. Results of 2-level logistic regression analysis showed that less-educated young women, those who had only one child or delivered by vaginal delivery at secondary hospitals, were associated with increased risk of unmet need for PPFP. Approximately 31% of women who had unmet need for PPFP reported a pregnancy during the first 24 months postpartum, which was significantly higher than the level for their counterparts (10.0%). The level of unmet need for PPFP in China was high, resulting in a high pregnancy rate within 24 months after delivery. Women’s age, education level, prior pregnancy and abortion histories, and delivery method were significantly associated with the risk of unmet need for PPFP. National PPFP guidelines that integrate PPFP services into prenatal and postnatal care are urgently needed and should be implemented throughout the country as soon as possible. PPFP services should promote the use of modern contraceptive methods.