<< Back To Home

CSU 112/2011: GAP BETWEEN PREFERRED AND ACTUAL BIRTH INTERVALS

Tuesday, 29th of March 2011 Print

Nothing predicts child survival better than birth intervals. The longer the gap between pregnancies, the higher the chances of survival. For those who missed it last year, see Shea Rustein's 'Effects of Preceding Birth Intervals on Neonatal, Infant, and Under-Five-Years Mortality' at http://www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pdf/WP41/WP41.pdf

Full text of the article summarized below is at http://www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pdf/AS2/AS2.pdf

Good reading.

 BD

 

Executive Summary

 

Using Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) data from 20 sub-Saharan countries, this article compares women’s actual lengths of birth intervals to preferred lengths and assesses the implications of the difference for selected demographic and health indicators. The results show a clear pattern.

Women prefer much longer birth intervals than they actually have in Comoros,

Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe, compared with women in the other

15 countries studied. As a consequence, the potential effects of spacing

preferences on the level of fertility, as well as on the prevalences of short birth

intervals (less than 24 months) and child malnutrition, are greatest in the same

five countries. An explanation based on the observed sharp decline in fertility

recently experienced by these five “forerunners” is offered for this pattern.

 

The covariates of preferred birth interval lengths are also examined. In

general, women who know, approve of, discuss, and use family planning

prefer longer intervals than their counterparts. The educational attainment of

husbands matters more than that of female respondents in determining spacing

preferences. For nine countries that have conducted more than one survey, an

average increase of six months in the length of preferred intervals is

documented.

 

 Similarly, data from 12 countries that conducted a survey in the

mid- or late 1990s show an increase in the actual lengths of birth intervals; the

magnitude of the increase is higher in the most recent period studied (when

intervals starting in the 1980s are compared with intervals starting in the

1990s). The policy and program relevance of these results is discussed.


To subscribe or unsubscribe from these Child Survival Updates, pls contact kidsurvival@gmail.com. If you unsubscribe, indicate from which E mail address you are receving these updates.
 
When subscribing, write from your most permanent E-mail address, not always that of your current employer.
 
Do not subscribe on behalf of friends or colleagues; forward updates to them for their decision.

Those wishing to read only malaria updates should subscribe at
kidsurvivalmalaria@gmail.com
 

Those wishing to read only vaccination updates should subscribe at kidsurvivalvaccination@gmail.com
 
READER COMMENTS
 
If you have a comment you want posted, send to rdavis@africamail.com

 
WEBPAGE
 
These updates are also available at www.childsurvival.net  

40757602