Factors associated with unmet need for modern contraceptives among Syrian refugee women in Türkiye

Meeting the reproductive healthcare needs of forcibly displaced women and girls is crucial for all countries hosting refugees. During times of conflict, women of reproductive age among refugee populations may desire to delay or cease childbearing. However, if they are not utilising any contraceptive methods, they are considered to have an unmet need for family planning. Given the potential economic strain and risks associated with unintended pregnancies or unsafe abortions, it’s imperative to promote and ensure access to modern contraceptives for all refugee women, aligning with the objectives of the third Sustainable Development Goal to enhance universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services. Given that Türkiye hosts a significant number of Syrian refugees, this study investigates the factors influencing the unmet need for modern contraceptives among Syrian refugee women residing in Türkiye. Data from the 2018 Turkey Demographic and Health Survey for Syrian Migrant Sample was utilised to model the probability of unmet need for modern contraceptives, both for spacing and limiting purposes. The Logit model was constructed to study the determinants of the unmet need for modern methods and the Multinomial logit model was performed to analyse the factors of unmet need for spacing and limiting, at 5% significance level. Syrian women aged 45–49 were 47.4% points less likely to have unmet need for spacing but 46% points more likely to have unmet need for limiting. Compared to those with 0–2 children, women with 5 or more children were 26.7% points less likely to have unmet need for spacing but 14.8% points more likely to have unmet need for limiting. Having a male child reduced the probability of unmet need for spacing by 16.5% points. Women in the third and fourth socio-economic status quintiles were 15.8 and 11% points less likely, respectively, to have unmet need for limiting than those in the lowest quintile. Family planning programs targeting Syrian refugee women should offer services that address their diverse needs, taking into account their demographic characteristics and socioeconomic status.