Prevalence and determinants of unmet need for family planning among married women on Idjwi Island, Democratic Republic of the Congo

INTRODUCTION: Unmet need for family planning (FP) remains a major FP problem in most countries of the world. It has serious consequences for women, their families and society as a whole. This study was undertaken to identify the factors influencing unmet need for FP among married women in Idjwi Island, Democratic Republic of the Congo. METHODS: A cross-sectional community-based survey of 335 married women aged 15 to 49 years was conducted on Idjwi Island from February 1 to 20, 2022. Multivariate logistic regression was utilized to examine the correlation between unmet need for FP and various socio-demographic factors. RESULTS: The total unmet need for FP was 9.3%, with 4.8% for limiting and 4.5% for spacing. Following adjustments, factors such as age at marriage ≥ 20 years (adjusted OR = 3.3 [1.1–10.3]; p = 0.039), secondary or higher education level (adjusted OR = 8.4 [1.4–52.4]; p = 0.022), and husband’s disapproval of FP (adjusted OR = 12.9 [3.5–48.3]; p < 0.0001) showed significant associations with an increased unmet need for FP. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of unmet need for FP on Idjwi Island was lower than the national level and other sub-Saharan African countries. Later age at marriage, higher education, and spousal disapproval were significantly associated with higher unmet need. These findings underscore the importance of women’s empowerment and male involvement in addressing women’s sexual and reproductive health needs.