Geography and correlates of attitude toward Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Sudan: What can we learn from successive Sudan opinion poll data?

In Sudan, prevalence of FGM is declining; likely as a result of changing attitude surrounding FGM, as more women believe the practice should be discontinued amid growing awareness about its health dangers. DFID Sudan opinion poll data collected from 2012 to 2014 was used. Bayesian geo-additive mixed models were used to map the spatial distribution of the likelihood of pro-FGM attitude at the state-level accounting for associated risk factors. During 2012 to 2014, the overall proportion of pro-FGM was 27.5% and 18.3% respectively with striking variations within states. People with pro-FGM attitude were more likely to be un-educated, living in rural settings with strong tribal identity. Individuals from Darfur were more likely to be pro-FGM when compared to the North state. The decrease in the practice of cutting observed between the 2006 and 2010 Sudanese Household Surveys and the resulting shift in attitude make a compelling case for public health policy to eradicate the FGM practice.