Spousal communication and family planning decision-making in Nigeria

Meekers, Dominic and Oladosu, Muyiwa (1996) Spousal communication and family planning decision-making in Nigeria. POPLINE.

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Abstract

Data from the 1990 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey are used to describe and determine the relationship between spousal communication about family planning and about family size and wife's status in the household, socioeconomic factors, and exposure to Western influences. Four models are constructed. The first model estimates the effect of the indicators of women's status in the household. Model 2 adds socioeconomic status and Western influences to Model 1. Model 3 estimates the effects of demographic variables on family planning exposure and acceptance. Model 4 estimates the effect of all variables simultaneously. Findings indicate that spousal communication is uncommon. Only 40% of urban women and 20% of rural women talked with their spouses about family planning in the year preceding the survey. Sole or senior women and women with five or more living children were more likely to have discussed family planning with their partner. Spousal communication was higher among respondents who were educated, lived in households that had a car or motorcycle, or listened to television weekly. Both partners having a primary education meant greater communication about family planning in rural areas than only one partner with a primary education. After controlling for education, urban and rural differences in spousal communication disappeared. Exposure to family planning messages was related to greater communication on the subject with their partners. Findings suggest that women's status alone is insufficient to increase contraceptive communication. Increased exposure to television but not radio and increased levels of education were also key to raising spousal communication. Spousal use of family planning was related to spousal communication, but levels of use were still low in Nigeria.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions
Divisions:	Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences > School of Social Sciences
Depositing User:	Mrs Hannah Akinwumi
Date Deposited:	13 Mar 2017 14:06
Last Modified:	13 Mar 2017 14:06
URI:	http://eprints.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/id/eprint/7920

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