Abstract:
Family planning plays an important public health role in preventing maternal and child health. However, its utilization is very low in the world, especially in developing countries. One reason for such low utilization is lack of spousal communication about family planning and joint decision making. In Ethiopia, the association between spousal family planning communication and contraceptive use is assessed using narrow definition of communication which does not show effective communication. Moreover, the influence of spousal family planning communication dynamics (contents, frequency and patterns of initiation) on couples' family planning decision making is not examined. Studies on determinants of spousal family planning communication are sparse. Thus, the current research intends to fill these gaps using broader definition of communication and assessing the influence of communication dynamics on couples' family planning decision making and spousal communication determinants specific to the study setting.