Table 3 Multilevel estimates and adjusted odds of pregnancy termination among married women of reproductive ages in less developed countries, DHS 2015–2022.

Individual characteristics

Age group

24 years or less

1

1

25—34 years

1.91(1.87–1.96) ***

1.83(1.80–1.87) ***

35 or more years

2.69(2.62–2.76) ***

2.50(2.45–2.56) ***

Age at first sex

Less than 18 years

1

1

18 years or more

1.48(1.41–1.55) ***

1.33(1.27–1.39) ***

Age at first birth

Less than 18 years

1.06(1.04–1.09) ***

1.09(1.06–1.11) ***

18 years or more

1.12(1.09–1.14) ***

1.13(1.11–1.16) ***

Never given birth

1

1

Age at first marriage

below 18 years

1

1

18 years or more

0.77(0.76–0.79) ***

0.77(0.76–0.79) ***

Contraceptive use

No

0.98(0.97–1.00) *

1.00(0.99–1.02)

Yes

1

1

Educational attainment

None

1

1

Primary

1.17(1.15–1.20) ***

1.15(1.22–1.17) ***

Secondary

1.25(1.22–1.27) ***

1.20(1.17–1.22) ***

Tertiary

1.20(1.17–1.24) ***

1.10(1.07–1.13) ***

Employment status

No

1

1

Yes

1.12(1.11–1.14) ***

1.09(1.08–1.11) ***

Decision-making autonomy

Alone or jointly

0.95(0.93–0.96) ***

0.98(0.96–0.99) ***

Someone else

1

1

Household characteristics

Sex of household head

Male

1

1

Female

0.97(0.95–0.99) **

0.99(0.96–1.01)

Partners educational

No education

1

1

Primary

1.18(1.15–1.20) ***

1.04(1.02–1.06) **

Secondary

1.12(1.10–1.24) ***

1.04(1.02–1.06) ***

Higher

1.15(1.11–1.18) ***

1.07(1.04–1.10) ***

Household size

5 or less members

1.04(1.03–1.06) ***

1.07(1.05–1.08) ***

6 or more members

1

1

Wealth index

Poor

1

1

Middle

1.08(1.06–1.10) ***

1.04(1.02–1.06) ***

Rich

1.13(1.12–1.15) ***

1.04(1.02–1.06) ***

Community characteristics

Type of place of residence

Urban

1

1

Rural

0.80(0.79–0.82) ***

0.88(0.86–0.90) ***

Community wealth index

Low

1

1

Medium

1.14(1.11–1.17) ***

1.07(1.04–1.10) ***

High

1.10(1.07–1.12) ***

1.05(1.03–1.08) ***

Community media-exposure

Low

1

1

Medium

1.01(1.07–1.13) ***

1.06(1.03–1.09) ***

High

1.08(1.05–1.10) ***

1.05(1.03–1.07) ***

Community family planning exposure

Low

1

1

Medium

1.05(1.02–1.08) ***

1.04(1.01–1.06) **

High

0.96(0.94–0.98) **

0.98(0.96–1.01)

Community contraceptive use

Low

1

1

Medium

1.10(1.07–1.13) ***

1.05(1.02–1.08) ***

High

1.08(1.06–1.11) ***

1.03(1.01–1.05) *

Random effects

Variance (CI)

0.511(0.50–0.53)

0.508(0.49–0.52)

0.496(0.48–0.51)

0.491(0.48–0.51)

0.503(0.49–0.52)

Intraclass correlation (ICC)

13.44

13.38

13.11

13.00

13.23

Proportional change in variance (PCV)

Ref

0.01

0.03

0.04

0.02

Wald chi-square

Ref

8450.00

641.83

1092.11

11,098.80

Model fitness

Log likelihood

−335,404.41

−329,694.92

−335,084.86

−334,860.49

−329,412.95

Akaike Information Criteria (AIC)

670,812.80

659,417.80

670,187.70

669,743.00

658,885.90

Bayesian Information Criteria (BIC)

670,835.80

659,578.80

670,291.20

669,869.50

659,230.90

N

715 281

715 281

715 281

715 281

715 281