Ethnicity and contraceptive use in sub-Saharan Africa: The case of Ghana

Using a sub-sample of ever-married women from the 1993 Ghana Demographic an d Health Survey (GDHS), this study examines differentials in contraceptive use in six cultural groups: Ga-Adangbe, Twi, Fante/other Akans, Ewe, Guan/o thers and Mole-Dagbani. Multivariate analysis is used to explore whether re ported ethnic differentials in contraceptive use can be attributed to ethni city or to other characteristics that distinguish the ethnic groups. Overal l, the findings are generally more consistent with the 'characteristics' hy pothesis, because contraceptive use differentials by ethnic group is accoun ted for by differences in socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of these women. However, for the Fante/other Akans, even after the necessary c ontrols, ethnicity continued to emerge as a significant determinant of cont raceptive use. Programmatic implications of these results are discussed.