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Women’s Education, Empowerment, and Contraceptive Use in Sub-Saharan Africa: Findings from Recent Demographic and Health Surveys

Stanfors, Maria LU and Larsson, Cecilia LU orcid (2014) In Etude de la Population Africaine 28(2). p.1022-1034
Abstract
Fertility remains higher and contraceptive levels are substantially lower in Sub-Saharan Africa than elsewhere in the developing world. In this paper we use information on individuals and couples provided in recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS, fifth wave) undertaken in Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, and Zambia. We use bivariate and multivariate techniques to examine the determinants of contraceptive use among married women (aged 15-49), focusing on the impacts of women’s education and empowerment. Our results show that education was an important determinant of contraceptive use, but mattered less in choice of method effectiveness. The impact of education was similar in all the countries studied with the exception of Kenya, where it was... (More)
Fertility remains higher and contraceptive levels are substantially lower in Sub-Saharan Africa than elsewhere in the developing world. In this paper we use information on individuals and couples provided in recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS, fifth wave) undertaken in Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, and Zambia. We use bivariate and multivariate techniques to examine the determinants of contraceptive use among married women (aged 15-49), focusing on the impacts of women’s education and empowerment. Our results show that education was an important determinant of contraceptive use, but mattered less in choice of method effectiveness. The impact of education was similar in all the countries studied with the exception of Kenya, where it was non-existent. Empowerment was less important in determining contraceptive use. Efforts to increase contraceptive use in general and the use of modern methods more specifically need to focus on providing basic education for all women and on changing gender roles. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Education, empowerment, contraceptive use, logit regression, Sub-Saharan Africa
in
Etude de la Population Africaine
volume
28
issue
2
pages
1022 - 1034
publisher
Union for African Population Studies
external identifiers
  • scopus:84915793159
ISSN
2308-7854
DOI
10.11564/28-0-554
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
644e0eb6-f9f9-4ea4-9175-77f3311efeab (old id 4857161)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 09:47:29
date last changed
2022-10-13 09:36:34
@article{644e0eb6-f9f9-4ea4-9175-77f3311efeab,
  abstract     = {{Fertility remains higher and contraceptive levels are substantially lower in Sub-Saharan Africa than elsewhere in the developing world. In this paper we use information on individuals and couples provided in recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS, fifth wave) undertaken in Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, and Zambia. We use bivariate and multivariate techniques to examine the determinants of contraceptive use among married women (aged 15-49), focusing on the impacts of women’s education and empowerment. Our results show that education was an important determinant of contraceptive use, but mattered less in choice of method effectiveness. The impact of education was similar in all the countries studied with the exception of Kenya, where it was non-existent. Empowerment was less important in determining contraceptive use. Efforts to increase contraceptive use in general and the use of modern methods more specifically need to focus on providing basic education for all women and on changing gender roles.}},
  author       = {{Stanfors, Maria and Larsson, Cecilia}},
  issn         = {{2308-7854}},
  keywords     = {{Education; empowerment; contraceptive use; logit regression; Sub-Saharan Africa}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{1022--1034}},
  publisher    = {{Union for African Population Studies}},
  series       = {{Etude de la Population Africaine}},
  title        = {{Women’s Education, Empowerment, and Contraceptive Use in Sub-Saharan Africa: Findings from Recent Demographic and Health Surveys}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.11564/28-0-554}},
  doi          = {{10.11564/28-0-554}},
  volume       = {{28}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}