%0 Journal Article %T Married women's decision making power on modern contraceptive use in urban and rural southern Ethiopia %A Binyam Bogale %A Mekitie Wondafrash %A Tizta Tilahun %A Eshetu Girma %J BMC Public Health %D 2011 %I BioMed Central %R 10.1186/1471-2458-11-342 %X Community based comparative cross-sectional design with both quantitative and Qualitative study has been employed in March and April 2010. The respondents were 699 married women of child bearing age from urban and rural parts of Dawro zone. After conducting census, we took the sample using simple random sampling technique.Current modern contraceptive use among married women in the urban was 293 (87.5%) and 243 (72.8%) in rural. Married women who reside in urban area were more likely to decide on the use of modern contraceptive method than rural women. Having better knowledge about modern contraceptive methods, gender equitable attitude, better involvement in decisions related to children, socio-cultural and family relations were statistically significant factors for decision making power of women on the use of modern contraceptive methods in the urban setting. Better knowledge, fear of partner's opposition or negligence, involvement in decisions about child and economic affairs were statistically significant factors for better decision making power of women on the use of modern contraceptive methods in the rural part.High level of current modern contraceptive practice with reduced urban-rural difference was found as compared to regional and national figures. Urban women had better power to make decisions on modern contraceptive than rural women. Modern family planning interventions in the area should be promoted by considering empowering of women on modern contraceptive use decision making.Africa's population, currently growing faster than any other major region, is projected to account for 21 percent of world population by 2050, up from just 9 percent in 1950 [1]. The 2007 Population and Housing Census results showed that the population of Ethiopia grew at an average annual rate of 2.6 percent and a total population of 73.9 million. Southern Nation Nationalities and People's Region, where the study area located, the annual growth rate is moderately higher than the %U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/11/342