Association between rural workers’ sociodemographic and reproductive characteristics and their reproductive autonomy

Abstract

Objectives: to verify the association between sociodemographic and reproductive characteristics with rural workers’ reproductive autonomy. Methods: a cross-sectional study, with a sample of 346 women and application of the Reproductive Autonomy Scale. Multinomial regression was performed to analyze associations between independent variables and outcomes. Results: in the analysis of subscales “Decision-making”, “My sexual partner or someone else such as a parent”, “Both me and my partner” and “Me”, women experienced greater reproductive autonomy in relation to their partners. For outcomes “Decision about which method to use”, “When to have a baby” or “About unplanned pregnancy”, the highest prevalence was for category “Me”, with statistically significant associations. Conclusions: the sociodemographic and reproductive characteristics among the most vulnerable women, in terms of the social, economic and cultural context in which they are inserted, may be associated with greater difficulties in exercising reproductive autonomy.