Christian-Muslim Disparity in Contraceptive Use in Nigeria

Ann Herbert, Johns Hopkins University

Background: Nigeria is a religious country evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Though religion is often a determinant of fertility, little is known about Nigerian Muslim-Christian fertility differences. Objectives: To test for religious differences in odds of current modern contraceptive use (CMCU) and examine whether these differences vary by region. Methodology: Multiple logistic regression was used to determine Muslim-Christian differences in odds of CMCU. An interaction term for religion and region (north/south) was included in the model to test whether differences varied by region. Results: In the southern region, the difference in odds of CMCU is non-existent (OR: 1.04; 95% CI: 0.90-1.21; p=.582), while in the north, the odds ratio of CMCU by religion is quite high, at 3.77 (95% CI: 2.76-5.15; p=.000). Conclusion: In the north, Christians have significantly higher odds of CMCU compared to Muslims while in the south there is no difference between the two groups.