Table 1 The descriptive characteristics of the study participants pooled from GDHS-2022 for the analysis of abortion in women of reproductive age

Maternal age

15–19

385.13

6.01%

20–24

1367.44

21.34%

25–29

1532.24

23.91%

30–34

1453.92

22.69%

35–39

1086.56

16.96%

40–44

462.02

7.21%

45–49

119.85

1.87%

Highest educational level

No education

1273.32

19.87%

Primary

971.91

15.17%

Secondary

3572.36

55.76%

Higher

589.58

11.2%

Religion

Catholic

498.03

7.77%

Anglican

32.62

0.51%

Methodist

259.71

4.05%

Presbyterian

294.83

4.60%

Pentecostal/Charismatic

2567.12

40.07%

Other Christian

930.72

14.53%

Islam

1490.80

23.27%

Traditional/Spiritualist

174.20

2.72%

No religion

150.26

2.35%

Other

8.86

0.14%

Ever had birth terminated

No

3854.29

60.16%

Yes

2552.87

39.84%

Wealth index

Poorest

1377

21.49%

Poorer

1276.26

19.92%

Middle

1298.49

20.27%

Richer

1295.54

20.22%

Richest

1159.88

18.1%

Type of place of residence

Urban

3194.97

37.2%

Rural

3212.2

62.8%

Region

Western

394.08

6.15%

Central

705.27

11.01%

Greater Accra

836.61

13.06%

Volta

250.76

3.91%

Eastern

500.77

7.82%

Ashanti

1174.85

18.34%

Western North

177.07

2.76%

Ahafo

131.47

2.05%

Bono

215.19

3.36%

Bono East

325.56

5.08%

Oti

213.85

3.34%

Northern

636.75

9.94%

Savannah

189.06

2.95%

North East

184.27

2.88%

Upper East

298.4

4.66%

Upper West

173.2

2.70%

Intention to use contraceptives

Use later

1775.1

44.09%

Unsure about use

122.12

3.03%

Does not intend

2129.2

52.88%

Current marital status

Never in union

868.58

13.56%

Married

3687.03

57.55%

Living with partner

1443.05

22.52%

Widowed

66.33

1.04%

Divorced

78.87

1.23%

Separated

263.3

4.11%

Smokes cigarettes

No

6359.19

99.25%

Yes

47.97

0.75%

Respondent currently working

No

1380.1

21.54%

Yes

5027.1

78.46%

Births in last five years

No births

605.3

9.45%

One birth

3403.98

53.13%

Two

2044.35

31.91%

Three

327.68

5.11%

Four

25.84

0.40%