Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Nov;23(11):1508-1515.
doi: 10.1007/s10995-019-02778-5.

Exploring Multiple Dimensions of Young Women's Fertility Preferences in Malawi

Ashley Larsen Gibby  1 , Nancy Luke  2
Affiliations

Exploring Multiple Dimensions of Young Women's Fertility Preferences in Malawi

Ashley Larsen Gibby et al. Matern Child Health J. 2019 Nov.

Abstract

Introduction: Standard survey measures of fertility preferences, such as the desire for and preferred timing of future births, do not capture the complexity of individuals' preferences. New research focuses on additional dimensions of emotions and expectations surrounding childbearing. Few quantitative studies, however, consider the influence of all three dimensions of fertility preferences concurrently.

Methods: Using longitudinal survey data from the Tsogolo la Thanzi project (2009-2012) in Malawi, this study employed logistic regression analysis to investigate the influence of young women's emotions, expectations, and a standard measure of fertility preferences on pregnancy and modern contraceptive use.

Results: Young women experienced high unmet need; across survey waves, over three-quarters of women who desired a child in more than 2 years were not currently using modern contraceptives and over three-quarters of women who thought a pregnancy in the next month would be bad news (garnered from a measure of emotions surrounding pregnancy) were not currently using modern contraceptives. In regression models including all three measures of fertility preferences, each was significantly associated with the likelihood of a future pregnancy. The standard measure and emotions measure were significantly associated with modern contraceptive use.

Discussion: Emotions and expectations surrounding pregnancy and childbirth appear to be distinct and salient aspects of fertility preferences in addition to the standard measure. A better understanding of the multidimensional nature of fertility preferences will help individuals define and achieve their reproductive goals and obtain appropriate services. Furthermore, future research should incorporate new measures of fertility preferences into surveys internationally.

Keywords: Contraceptives; Fertility intentions; Fertility preferences; Malawi; Pregnancy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Aiken AR (2015). Happiness about unintended pregnancy and its relationship to contraceptive desires among a predominantly Latina cohort. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 47(2), 99–106. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Aiken AR, Borrero S, Callegari LS, & Dehlendorf C (2016). Rethinking the pregnancy planning paradigm: unintended conceptions or unrepresentative concepts?. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 48(3), 147. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Asare M (2015). Using the theory of planned behavior to determine the condom use behavior among college students. American Journal of Health Studies, 30(1), 43. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Barrett G, & Wellings K (2002). What is a ‘planned’ pregnancy? Empirical data from a British study. Social Science & Medicine, 55(4), 545–557. - PubMed
    1. Bernardi L, Mynarska M, & Rossier C (2015). Uncertain, changing and situated fertility intentions In Reproductive decision-making in a macro-micro perspective (pp. 113–139). Springer, Dordrecht.