Background
Materials and methods
Study design
Participants and sample size
Procedure
Materials
Statistical analysis
Results
Sociodemographic characteristics
Descriptive parameter | N (%) |
---|---|
Age in years | |
18–29 | 387 (47.4%) |
30–49 | 322 (39.5%) |
50–64 | 107 (13.1%) |
Marital status | |
Single | 373 (45.7%) |
Married | 410 (50.2%) |
Separated-Widowed-Divorced | 34 (4.2%) |
Occupation | |
Student | 254 (31.1%) |
Employed-Self employed | 372 (45.5%) |
Housewife - Retired | 191 (23.4%) |
Governate | |
Beirut | 105 (12.9%) |
Bekaa and Baalbeck El Hermel | 34 (4.2%) |
Mount Lebanon | 317 (38.8%) |
North Lebanon and Akkar | 245 (30%) |
South Lebanon | 116 (14.2%) |
Highest attained education | |
High School and less | 241 (29.5%) |
Bachelor’s Degree | 324 (39.7%) |
Post- graduate Degree | 252 (30.8%) |
Monthly personal income | |
Less than 200$ | 246 (30.1%) |
200$-400$ | 116 (14.2%) |
400–1000$ | 118 (14.4%) |
More than 1000$ | 91 (11.1%) |
Prefers not to say | 246 (30.1%) |
Parental status | |
Has children | 410 (50.2%) |
Does not have children | 407 (49.8%) |
Self-reported family history of cancer | |
Breast cancer | 216 (26.4%) |
Endometrial cancer | 26 (3.2%) |
Ovarian cancer | 53 (6.5%) |
Self-reported family history of heart disease | 454 (55.6%) |
Practice of OCPs
Descriptive parameter | N (%) |
---|---|
Reasons for use of OCPs | N = 339 |
Pregnancy prevention | 149 (44%) |
Menstrual cycle regulation | 164 (48.4%) |
Non-contraceptive reasons (PCOS, endometriosis, menstrual pain…) | 117 (34.5%) |
Others | 13 (3.8%) |
Only form of contraception aware of | 6 (1.8%) |
Reasons for discontinuation of OCPs | N = 339 |
Attempting to get pregnant | 39 (11.5%) |
Belief that it is healthy to stop for a while | 43 (12.7%) |
Concerns about side effects | 112 (33%) |
Difficulty with compliance | 13 (3.8%) |
Limited access | 9 (2.7%) |
Friend or family recommendation | 4 (1.2%) |
Resorted to other forms of contraception | 42 (12.4%) |
Not Applicable | 66 (19.5%) |
Doctor Prescription | 36 (10.6%) |
Regulated Menstruation | 13 (3.8%) |
Side Effects | 20 (5.9%) |
Others | 7 (2.1%) |
Reasons for never having used OCPs | N = 478 |
Religious or cultural reasons | 30 (6.3%) |
Concerns about side effects | 147 (30.8%) |
Belief that it is unnatural or unhealthy | 61 (12.8%) |
Infertile | 1 (0.2%) |
Concerns about compliance | 15 (3.1%) |
Limited access | 10 (2.1%) |
Medical condition | 13 (2.7%) |
Sexual abstinence | 46 (9.6%) |
Partner opposition | 5 (1%) |
Others forms of contraception | 9 (1.9%) |
Not applicable | 234 (39%) |
Information related to oral contraceptive pills
Self-assessment of knowledge of health benefits and health risks of OCPs
Correlates of knowledge
Variable | Mean knowledge score (SD) | p | Mean Risks Score /15 (SD) | p | Mean Benefits Score /6 (SD) | p |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ever used OCP | ||||||
Yes | 7.05 (4.72) | < 0.001 | 4.83 (3.81) | < 0.001 | 1.10 (1.27) | < 0.001 |
No | 4.73 (4.76) | 3.55 (3.83) | 0.54 (1.02) | |||
Age | ||||||
18–29 | 6.64 (5.14) | 4.94 (4.02) | 0.89 (1.22) | |||
30–49 | 4.91 (4.50) | < 0.001 | 3.33 (3.57) | < 0.001 | 0.69 (1.09) | 0.024 |
50–64 | 4.64 (4.38) | 3.25 (3.58) | 0.62 (1.15) | |||
Marital status | ||||||
Single | 6.39 (5.12) | < 0.001 | 4.73 (4.05) | < 0.001 | 0.89 (1.20) | 0.009 |
Married | 5.19 (4.67) | 3.58 (3.68) | 0.71 (1.15) | |||
Others | 4.21 (3.50) | 3.00 (3.02) | 0.35 (0.73) | |||
Occupation | ||||||
Student | 6.90 (5.12) | < 0.001 | 5.18 (4.01) | < 0.001 | 0.92 (1.26) | < 0.001 |
Unemployed | 4.15 (3.97) | 3.89 (3.90) | 0.83 (1.19) | |||
Employed | 5.66 (4.92) | 2.99 (3.23) | 0.47 (0.91) | |||
Governate | ||||||
Beirut | 5.95 (4.97) | 0.086 | 4.30 (3.97) | 0.198 | 0.75 (1.16) | 0.172 |
Bekaa and Baalbeck El Hermel | 5.88 (5.33) | 4.30 (3.83) | 0.68 (1.20) | |||
Mount Lebanon | 6.11 (4.93) | 4.34 (4.03) | 0.89 (1.18) | |||
North Lebanon and Akkar | 5.51 (4.54) | 3.97 (3.61) | 0.68 (1.15) | |||
South Lebanon | 4.66 (5.14) | 3.36 (3.84) | 0.67 (1.14) | |||
Educational level | ||||||
High School or less | 4.87 (4.50) | 0.007 | 3.71 (3.66) | 0.205 | 0.50 (0.90) | < 0.001 |
Bachelor’s degree | 5.97 (5.12) | 4.28 (3.99) | 0.84 (1.23) | |||
Post-Grad Degree | 6.13 (4.85) | 4.18 (3.92) | 0.95 (1.26) | |||
Monthly income | ||||||
I prefer not to say | 5.31 (4.85) | 0.011 | 3.83 (3.80) | 0.328 | 0.69 (1.11) | < 0.001 |
Less than 200$ | 5.15 (4.44) | 3.92 (3.72) | 0.57 (0.92) | |||
200$-400$ | 5.93 (5.47) | 4.11 (4.00) | 1.04 (1.48) | |||
400$-1000$ | 6.50 (4.68) | 4.65 (3.93) | 0.83 (1.20) | |||
> 1000$ | 6.85 (5.31) | 4.40 (4.23) | 1.15 (1.27) | |||
Parental status | ||||||
Has children | 4.97 (4.40) | < 0.001 | 3.46 (3.55) | < 0.001 | 0.65 (1.11) | 0.003 |
No children | 6.42 (5.20) | 4.70 (4.09) | 0.90 (1.21) | |||
FH breast cancer | ||||||
Yes | 5.87 (5.27) | 0.298 | 4.21 (4.14) | 0.555 | 0.80 (1.09) | 0.944 |
No | 5.73 (4.76) | 4.08 (3.76) | 0.77 (1.19) | |||
Not sure | 4.82 (4.56) | 3.62 (3.93) | 0.76 (1.20) | |||
FH ovarian cancer | ||||||
Yes | 5.64 (4.78) | 0.996 | 4.18 (4.20) | 0.978 | 0.60 (0.89) | 0.127 |
No | 5.70 (4.91) | 4.07 (3.86) | 0.76 (1.17) | |||
Not sure | 5.68 (4.72) | 4.10 (3.80) | 1.00 (1.32) | |||
FH Endometrial cancer | ||||||
Yes | 7.12 (5.12) | 0.251 | 5.08 (3.88) | 0.359 | 1.08 (1.32) | 0.031 |
No | 5.61 (4.87) | 4.02 (3.87) | 0.73 (1.14) | |||
Not sure | 6.00 (4.83) | 4.26 (3.89) | 1.04 (1.29) | |||
FH Heart disease | ||||||
Yes | 6.02 (5.04) | 0.096 | 4.35 (3.72) | 0.086 | 0.83 (1.22) | 0.266 |
No | 5.29 (4.64) | 3.35 (4.00) | 0.69 (1.09) | |||
Not sure | 5.24 (4.70) | 3.79 (3.62) | 0.76 (1.14) |
Variable | Unstandardized B | Standardized B | 95% CI | p-value |
---|---|---|---|---|
Model 1: Taking the knowledge score as the dependent variable1 | ||||
Age (in years) | -0.891 | -0.127 | (-1.399, -0.383) | < 0.001 |
OCP use (yes or no*) | 1.632 | 0.165 | (1.046, 2.218) | < 0.001 |
Student (yes or no*) | 2.240 | 0.212 | (1.280, 3.199) | < 0.001 |
Unemployed (yes or no*) | -1.004 | -0.102 | (-1.728, -2.79) | 0.007 |
Governate (center or periphery*) | 0.575 | 0.059 | (0.016, 1.134) | 0.044 |
FH of heart disease (yes or no*) | -0.483 | -0.065 | (-0.901, --0.64) | 0.024 |
Confidence in knowledge (five-point rating scale) | 1.184 | 0.306 | (0.933, 1.436) | < 0.001 |
Importance of receiving information (five-point rating scale) | 0.382 | 0.077 | (0.091, 0.673) | 0.010 |
Satisfaction with information (five-point rating scale) | 0.915 | 0.234 | (0.667, 1.163) | < 0.001 |
Model 2: Taking the risk knowledge score as the dependent variable2 | ||||
Age (in years) | -0.781 | -0.141 | (-1.198, -0.364) | < 0.001 |
OCP use (yes or no*) | 0.822 | 0.104 | (0.334, 1.309) | < 0.001 |
Student (yes or no*) | 1.322 | 0.158 | (0.689, 1.954) | < 0.001 |
FH of heart disease (yes or no*) | -0.437 | -0.74 | (-0.786, -0.088) | 0.014 |
Confidence in knowledge (five-point rating scale) | 0.851 | 0.277 | (0.642, 1.061) | < 0.001 |
Importance of receiving information (five-point rating scale) | 0.303 | 0.077 | (0.063, 0.543) | 0.014 |
Satisfaction with information (five-point rating scale) | 0.649 | 0.209 | (0.0442, 0.857) | < 0.001 |
Model 3: Taking the benefit knowledge score as the dependent variable3 | ||||
OCP use (yes or no*) | 0.467 | 0.197 | (0.313, 0.621) | < 0.001 |
Student (yes or no*) | 0.313 | 0.124 | (0.096, 0.528) | 0.005 |
Education (bachelor degree vs. post-graduate degree vs. high school*) | 0.220 | 0.146 | (0.121, 0.320) | < 0.001 |
Parental status (yes or no*) | -0.179 | -0.077 | (-0.372, 0.013) | 0.068 |
FH of endometrial cancer (yes or no*) | 0.095 | 0.075 | (0.015, 0.176) | 0.021 |
Confidence in knowledge (five-point rating scale) | 0.161 | 0.174 | (0.094, 0.227) | < 0.001 |
Satisfaction with information (five-point rating scale) | 0.138 | 0.148 | (0.072, 0.204) | < 0.001 |