Use of Modern Spacing Contraceptives among tribal non-tribal married women in Rajasthan: Evidence from NFHS-5

Background: In India, Girls in Tribal communities get married traditionally immediately after attaining menarche. Deplorably most tribal women are not informed about modern spacing contraceptive use, as service providers frequently neglect to provide this information. As a result, tribal women often suffer in silence, which can lead to serious health problems. The present study aims to understand the use of modern spacing methods as well as the various socio-demographic factors affecting its usage among tribal and non-tribal women across the districts in Rajasthan. Methods: We included 30,414 tribal and non-tribal married women participants aged 15 to 49 years from National Family Health Survey 5 conducted during the years 2019 to 2021. Descriptive statistics were used to compute the prevalence of modern spacing contraceptive use along with a 95% confidence interval (CI) as a measure. The association between various socio-demographic predictors and modern spacing contraceptive usage was assessed by logistic regression. Results: The overall prevalence of modern spacing contraceptive practices was found low among tribal compared to non-tribal women, which was below the national average. Use of the modern spacing method is higher in Nagaur, Kota (non-tribal and tribal), and low in Jaisalmer, Tonk (non-tribal), and Karauli and Jalor (tribal) districts of Rajasthan. Age, age at first sex, education, wealth index, and place of residence were significantly associated with the use of modern spacing methods among tribal and non-tribal women in Rajasthan. Conclusion: There is an immediate need to improve access to modern spacing contraceptive methods and reduce unmet needs for contraceptives among tribal women. There is a requirement for sustained and targeted efforts from healthcare workers towards the tribal communities.