Table 1.
Prevalence and types of abortion by demographic characteristics and knowledge of women regarding abortion
| Demographic Characteristics and knowledge on abortion | N = 2395 n(%) | Prevalence of abortion, n(%) | Types of abortion, n(%) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No (1889) | Yes (506) | Safe(425) | Unsafe (81) | ||
| Age a | |||||
| 15–24 | 303(13) | 222(73) | 81(27) | 65(80) | 16(20) |
| 25–34 | 940(39) | 634(67) | 306(33) | 263(86) | 43(14) |
| ≥ 35 | 1152(48) | 1033(90) | 119(10) | 97(82) | 22(18) |
| Education | |||||
| No education | 1152(48) | 1019(88) | 133(12) | 103(77) | 30(23) |
| Primary | 451(19) | 331(73) | 120(27) | 104(87) | 16(13) |
| Secondary | 638(27) | 430(67) | 208(33) | 177(85) | 31(15) |
| Higher | 153(6) | 108(71) | 45(29) | 41(91) | 4(9) |
| Occupation | |||||
| Agriculture | 1336(56) | 1106(83) | 230(17) | 187(81) | 43(19) |
| Unemployed | 487(20) | 364(75) | 123(25) | 105(85) | 18(15) |
| Non-agriculture | 572(24) | 419(73) | 153(27) | 133(87) | 20(13) |
| Religion | |||||
| Muslim and others | 160(7) | 133(83) | 27(17) | 22(81) | 5(19) |
| Buddhist | 143(6) | 112(78) | 31(22) | 30(97) | 1(3) |
| Hindu | 2092(87) | 1644(79) | 448(21) | 373(83) | 75(17) |
| Ethnicity | |||||
| Dalit and others | 469(19) | 395(84) | 74(16) | 59(80) | 15(20) |
| Janajati | 786(33) | 630(80) | 156(20) | 135(87) | 21(13) |
| Brahmin and Chhetri | 1140(48) | 864(76) | 276(24) | 231(84) | 45(16) |
| Region | |||||
| Mountain | 354(15) | 299(84) | 55(16) | 43(78) | 12(22) |
| Terai | 1107(46) | 858(78) | 249(22) | 215(86) | 34(14) |
| Hill | 934(39) | 732(78) | 202(22) | 167(83) | 35(17) |
| Residence | |||||
| Rural | 1634(68) | 1315(80) | 319(20) | 265(83) | 54(17) |
| Urban | 761(32) | 574(75) | 187(25) | 160(86) | 27(14) |
| Wealth Index | |||||
| Poorest | 471(20) | 411(87) | 60(13) | 40(67) | 20(33) |
| Poorer | 383(16) | 323(84) | 60(16) | 49(82) | 11(18) |
| Middle | 393(16) | 311(79) | 82(21) | 66(80) | 16(20) |
| Richer | 471(20) | 350(74) | 121(26) | 105(87) | 16(13) |
| Richest | 677(28) | 494(73) | 183(27) | 165(90) | 18(10) |
| Contraceptive use | |||||
| None | 1121(47) | 907(81) | 214(19) | 181(85) | 33(15) |
| Traditional methods | 208(9) | 135(65) | 73(35) | 61(84) | 12(16) |
| Modern methods | 1066(44) | 847(79) | 219(21) | 183(84) | 36(16) |
| Knowledge on legal abortion | |||||
| No | 1348(56) | 1181(88) | 167(12) | 136(81) | 31(19) |
| Yes | 1047(44) | 708(68) | 339(32) | 289(85) | 50(15) |
| Knowledge on safe places | |||||
| No | 726(30) | 696(96) | 30(4) | 24(80) | 6(20) |
| Yes | 1669(70) | 1193(71) | 476(29) | 401(84) | 75(16) |
| Reason for abortion | |||||
| Health risk | 69(13) | NA | 69(13) | 59(86) | 10(14) |
| Child spacing | 85(17) | NA | 85(17) | 71(84) | 14(16) |
| Unwanted child | 232(46) | NA | 232(46) | 196(84) | 36(16) |
| Low earning and others | 120(24) | NA | 120(24) | 99(82) | 21(18) |
NA Not applicable; aage is categorized in 10 years interval due to few respondents lower age groups