Abstract
BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined the sociodemographic characteristics associated with modern contraceptive use in Japan. This study investigated these associations using data from the National Fertility Survey. METHODS: Data were retrieved from the National Fertility Survey targeting unmarried individuals and married women in Japan. The analysis included unmarried individuals with sexual experience and sexually active married women intending to stop or space childbirths. Modern contraceptive use was examined in relation to sociodemographic characteristics, including age group, number of children, educational attainment, employment status, and income, among unmarried men and women as well as married women. Modified Poisson regression models were employed for the analysis. RESULTS: Data from 4,874 unmarried individuals and 1,533 married women were used in the analysis. Among both groups, younger age was associated with a higher prevalence of modern contraceptive use. Among unmarried individuals, having one or two children was significantly negatively associated with modern contraceptive use. Conversely, among married women, having multiple children was positively associated with modern contraceptive use. Additionally, a significant negative association was found between being a junior high or high school graduate and modern contraceptive use among unmarried men. Similarly, a significant negative association was observed among married women who were high school graduates. Conversely, modern contraceptive use was significantly positively associated with being an unemployed wife. CONCLUSIONS: Modern contraceptive use in Japan was associated with various sociodemographic characteristics, including the number of children, educational attainment, and employment status.