scholarly journals Women's empowerment and fertility preferences of married women: analysis of demographic and health survey’2016 in Timor-Leste

2022 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-261
Author(s):  
Nandeeta Samad ◽  
◽  
Pranta Das ◽  
Segufta Dilshad ◽  
Hasan Al Banna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Women's Empowerment ◽  
Married Women ◽  
Fertility Rate ◽  
Demographic And Health Survey ◽  
Women’S Empowerment ◽  
Women Empowerment ◽  
Fertility Preferences ◽  
Timor Leste

<abstract> <p>A recently independent state, Timor-Leste, is progressing towards socioeconomic development, prioritizing women empowerment while its increased fertility rate (4.1) could hinder the growth due to an uncontrolled population. Currently, limited evidence shows that indicators of women's empowerment are associated with fertility preferences and rates. The objective of this study was to assess the association between women empowerment and fertility preferences of married women aged 15 to 49 years in Timor-Leste using nationally representative survey data. The study was conducted using the data of the latest Timor-Leste Demographic and Health Survey 2016. The study included 4040 rural residents and 1810 urban residents of Timor-Leste. Multinomial logistic regression has been performed to assess the strength of association between the exposures indicating women's empowerment and outcome (fertility preference). After adjusting the selected covariates, the findings showed that exposures that indicate women empowerment in DHS, namely, the employment status of women, house and land ownership, ownership of the mobile phone, and independent bank account status, contraceptive use, and the attitude of women towards negotiating sexual relations are significantly associated with fertility preferences. The study shows higher the level of education, the less likely were the women to want more children, and unemployed women were with a higher number of children. Our study also found that the attitude of violence of spouses significantly influenced women's reproductive choice. However, employment had no significant correlation with decision-making opportunities and contraceptive selection due to a lack of substantial data. Also, no meaningful data was available regarding decision-making and fertility preferences. Our findings suggest that women's empowerment governs decision-making in fertility preferences, causing a decline in the fertility rate.</p> </abstract>

Association between women’s empowerment and diarrhoea in children under five years: evidence from the 2017/18 Benin Demographic and Health Survey

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Betregiorgis Zegeye ◽  
Dina Idriss-Wheeler ◽  
Sanni Yaya
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Women's Empowerment ◽  
Married Women ◽  
Demographic And Health Survey ◽  
Wife Beating ◽  
Women’S Empowerment ◽  
Children Under Five ◽  
Under Five ◽  
Childhood Diarrhoea

Abstract Globally, diarrhoea is the third leading cause of death for under five-children. Women’s empowerment can significantly reduce under-five mortality due to diarrhoea. This study investigated the association between women’s empowerment and childhood diarrhoea in Benin using data from the 2017/18 Benin Demographic and Health Survey. A total of 7979 currently married women were included in the study. A logistic regression model was used to control for possible confounders. The prevalence of diarrhoea among children under five years of age was 13.6%. About 36.3% of the currently married women decided either alone or together with their husband on their own health, purchase of large household items and visiting family/relatives. Close to 65.4% of currently married women disagreed with all five reasons to justify wife-beating. The children of mothers who had decision-making power were less likely to have diarrhoea (aOR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.57–0.96) than the children of mothers who had no decision-making power. Moreover, the children of mothers who disagreed with all five reasons to justify wife-beating (aOR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.65–0.96) were less likely to have diarrhoea than the children of mothers who accepted wife-beating as a part of life. Women’s age, educational level, wealth index and region were associated with childhood diarrhoea in Benin. The role of women’s empowerment, as determined by decision-making power and wife-beating attitude, was found to be significantly associated with the risk of childhood diarrhoea in Benin, after adjusting for other variables. Therefore, it is essential for policymakers in Benin to reinforce strategies and interventions focusing on women’s empowerment to avert childhood mortality caused by diarrhoea. This includes improving household economic status, women’s education and decision-making power and enhancing awareness of women’s human and democratic rights.

scholarly journals Do empowered women receive better quality antenatal care in Pakistan? An analysis of demographic and health survey data

PLoS ONE ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. e0262323
Author(s):  
Muhammad Asim ◽  
Waqas Hameed ◽  
Sarah Saleem
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Antenatal Care ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Women's Empowerment ◽  
Women’S Empowerment ◽  
Women Empowerment ◽  
Household Decision ◽  
Household Decision Making ◽  
To Receive

Introduction Quality antenatal care is a window of opportunity for improving maternal and neonatal outcomes. Numerous studies have shown a positive effect of women empowerment on improved coverage of maternal and reproductive health services, including antenatal care (ANC). However, there is scarce evidence on the association between women’s empowerment and improved ANC services both in terms of coverage and quality. Addressing this gap, this paper examines the relationship between multi-dimensional measures of women empowerment on utilization of quality ANC (service coverage and consultation) in Pakistan. Methods We used Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017–18 (PDHS) data which comprises of 6,602 currently married women aged between 15–49 years who had a live birth in the past five years preceding the survey. Our exposure variables were three-dimensional measures of women empowerment (social independence, decision making, and attitude towards domestic violence), and our outcome variables were quality of antenatal coverage [i.e. a composite binary measure based on skilled ANC (trained professional), timeliness (1st ANC visit during first trimester), sufficiency of ANC visits (4 or more)] and quality of ANC consultation (i.e. receiving at least 7 or more essential antenatal components out of 8). Data were analysed in Stata 16.0 software. Descriptive statistics were used to describe sample characteristics and binary logistic regression was employed to assess the association between empowerment and quality of antenatal care. Results We found that 41.4% of the women received quality ANC coverage and 30.6% received quality ANC consultations during pregnancy. After controlling for a number of socio-economic and demographic factors, all three measures of women’s empowerment independently showed a positive relationship with both outcomes. Women with high autonomy (i.e. strongly opposed the notion of violence) in the domain of attitude to violence are 1.66 (95% CI 1.30–2.10) and 1.45 (95% CI 1.19–1.75) and times more likely to receive antenatal coverage and quality ANC consultations respectively, compared with women who ranked low on attitude to violence. Women who enjoy high social independence had 1.87 (95% CI 1.44–2.43) and 2.78 (95% CI 2.04–3.79) higher odds of quality antenatal coverage and consultations respectively, as compared with their counterparts. Similarly, women who had high autonomy in household decision making 1.98 (95% CI 1.60–2.44) and 1.56 (95% CI 2.17–1.91) were more likely to receive quality antenatal coverage and consultation respectively, as compared to women who possess low autonomy in household decision making. Conclusion The quality of ANC coverage and consultation with service provider is considerably low in Pakistan. Women’s empowerment related to social independence, gendered beliefs about violence, and decision-making have an independent positive association with the utilisation of quality antenatal care. Thus, efforts directed towards empowering women could be an effective strategy to improve utilisation of quality antenatal care in Pakistan.

scholarly journals Women’s Participation in Household Decision Making and Justification of Wife Beating: A Secondary Data Analysis from Pakistan’s Demographic and Health Survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (19) ◽  
pp. 10011
Author(s):  
Zohra S. Lassi ◽  
Anna Ali ◽  
Salima Meherali
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Mass Media ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
Occupation Number ◽  
Women's Empowerment ◽  
Demographic And Health Survey ◽  
Wife Beating ◽  
Women’S Empowerment ◽  
Age Difference

Introduction: Globally, women’s empowerment is one of the important factors impacting the development of the nation. However, several women in developing countries, including Pakistan, experience a high level of gender discrimination and inequity. In this study, data from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) were used to measure empowerment and its predictors among women in Pakistan. Methods: Pakistan’s 2017–2018 DHS dataset was used to measure women’s empowerment using two indicators, i.e., participation in decision making and views on wife beating among 4216 married women. The determinants of empowerment, such as age, place of residence, regions, wealth index, education, partner’s education, partner’s occupation, number of children, consanguinity, the age difference between husband and wife, house and land ownership, and house inheritance, are reported as prevalence ratios (PRs) with a 95% confidence intervals (CI). Multivariate regression models were used to produce covariate-adjusted PRs and 95% CIs. Results: More than half of all women were empowered (52.5%). Upon multivariate analysis, we identified that women from the province of Punjab (adjusted PR (aPR), 1.44; 95% CI, 1.20–1.73), Sindh (aPR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.35–1.96), and KPK (aPR, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.91–1.31) compared to those living in Baluchistan; from the richest quantile (aPR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.37–1.99), followed by the richer quantile (aPR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.28–1.84), the middle quantile (aPR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.28–1.81), and the poorer quantile (aPR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.04–1.47) compared to women who were from the poorest quantile; who were highly educated (aPR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.25–1.67), followed by those who had a secondary education (aPR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.16–1.50) and a primary education (aPR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.02–1.35) compared to women who were not educated; and had exposure to mass media (aPR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.06–1.36) compared to those who had no exposure were more empowered. Conclusion: To conclude, women’s empowerment in Pakistan is affected by various socioeconomic factors, as well as exposure to mass media. Targeted strategies are needed to improve access to education, employment, and poverty alleviation among women, particularly those living in rural areas. Various mass media advertisements should be practiced, targeting community norms and supporting women’s empowerment.

scholarly journals Women’s empowerment and child growth faltering in Ethiopia: evidence from the Demographic and Health Survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alemayehu Gonie Mekonnen ◽  
Daniel Bogale Odo ◽  
Dabere Nigatu ◽  
Adem Sav ◽  
Kiya Kedir Abagero
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Standard Deviation ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Women's Empowerment ◽  
Child Growth ◽  
Demographic And Health Survey ◽  
Women’S Empowerment ◽  
Standard Deviation Increase ◽  
Growth Faltering ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract Background Despite numerous national and international efforts to alleviate child growth faltering, it remains a global health challenge. There is a growing body of literature that recognizes the importance of women’s empowerment in a wide range of public health topics, such as the utilization of maternal healthcare services, agricultural productivity, and child nutrition. However, in Ethiopia, the relationship between women’s empowerment and child nutritional status is not studied at the national level. This study aimed to determine the association between women’s empowerment and growth faltering in under-5 children in Ethiopia. Methods The data source for this analysis is the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS): a nationally representative household survey on healthcare. The EDHS employed a two-stage stratified cluster sampling technique. We computed standard women’s empowerment indices, following the Survey-based Women’s emPowERment index approach. A multilevel logistic regression model that accounted for cluster-level random effects was used to estimate the association between women’s empowerment and child growth faltering (stunting, wasting and underweight). Results Attitude to violence, social independence, and decision-making were the three domains of women’s empowerment that were associated with child growth faltering. One standard deviation increase in each domain of empowerment was associated with a reduction in the odds of stunting: attitude towards violence (AOR = 0.92; 95% CI 0.88–0.96; p < 0.001), social independence (AOR = 0.95; 95% CI 0.89–0.99; p = 0.049), and decision-making (AOR = 0.93; 95% CI 0.87–0.99; p = 0.023). Similarly, each standard deviation increase in attitude towards violence (AOR = 0.93; 95% CI 0.89–0.98; p = 0.008), social independence (AOR = 0.91; 95% CI 0.86–0.97; p = 0.002), and decision-making (AOR = 0.92; 95% CI 0.86–0.99; p = 0.020) were associated with a decrease in the odds of having underweight child. Conclusions Ensuring women’s empowerment both in the household and in the community could have the potential to decrease stunting and underweight in a rapidly developing country like Ethiopia. Policymakers and health professionals need to consider women’s empowerment in this unique context to improve nutritional outcomes for children and alleviate growth faltering.

scholarly journals Women’s empowerment is associated with maternal nutrition and low birth weight: Evidence from Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alamgir Kabir ◽  
Md Mahbubur Rashid ◽  
Kamal Hossain ◽  
Md Arifuzzaman Khan ◽  
Shegufta Shefa Sikder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Birth Weight ◽  
Low Birth Weight ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Maternal Nutrition ◽  
Women's Empowerment ◽  
Wealth Quintile ◽  
Women’S Empowerment ◽  
Demographic Health Survey ◽  
Maternal Undernutrition

Abstract Background The burden of maternal undernutrition and low birth weight (LBW) incurs enormous economic costs due to their adverse consequences. Women’s empowerment is believed to be one of the key factors for attaining maternal and child health and nutritional goals. Our objective was to investigate the association of women’s empowerment with maternal undernutrition and LBW. Methods We used nationally representative data from the Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey for 2011 and 2014. We analysed 27,357 women and 9,234 mother-child pairs. A women’s empowerment index (WEI) was constructed using principal component analysis with five groups of indicators: a) education, b) access to socio-familial decision making, c) economic contribution and access to economic decision making, d) attitudes towards domestic violence and e) mobility. We estimated odds ratios as the measure of association between the WEI and the outcome measures using generalized estimating equations to account for the cluster level correlation. Results The overall prevalence of maternal undernutrition was 20% and LBW was 18%. The WEI was significantly associated with both maternal undernutrition and LBW with a dose-response relationship. The adjusted odds of having a LBW baby was 32% [AOR (95% CI):0.68 (0.57, 0.82)] lower in the highest quartile of the WEI relative to the lowest quartile. Household wealth significantly modified the effect of the WEI on maternal nutrition.; in the highest wealth quintile, the odds of maternal undernutrition was 54% [AOR (95% CI): 0.46 (0.33, 0.64)] lower while in the lowest wealth quintile the odds of undernutrition was only 18% [AOR (95% CI): 0.82 (0.67, 1.00)] lower comparing the highest WEI quartile with the lowest WEI quartile. However, the absolute differences in prevalence of undernutrition between the highest and lowest WEI quartiles were similar across wealth quintiles (6-8%). Conclusions This study used a comprehensive measure of women’s empowerment and provides strong evidence that low levels of women’s empowerment is associated with maternal undernutrition as well as with delivering LBW babies in Bangladesh. Therefore, policies to increase empowerment of women would contribute to improved public health.

scholarly journals Women’s empowerment and fertility decision-making in 53 low and middle resource countries: a pooled analysis of demographic and health surveys

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. e045952
Author(s):  
Rezwanul Haque ◽  
Khorshed Alam ◽  
Syed Mahbubur Rahman ◽  
Syed Afroz Keramat ◽  
Mohammed Khaled Al-Hanawi
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Women's Empowerment ◽  
Wife Beating ◽  
Women’S Empowerment ◽  
Women Empowerment ◽  
Fertility Desire ◽  
Household Decision ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Household Decision Making ◽  
Ideal Number

ObjectiveWomen’s empowerment and its association with fertility preference are vital for central-level promotional health policy strategies. This study examines the association between women’s empowerment and fertility decision-making in low and middle resource countries (LMRCs).DesignThis cross-sectional study uses the Demographic and Health Survey database.Settings53 LMRCs from six different regions for the period ranging from 2006 to 2018.ParticipantsThe data of women-only aged 35 years and above is used as a unit of analysis. The final sample consists of 91 070 married women.MethodsWe considered two outcome variables: women’s perceived ideal number of children and their ability to achieve preferred fertility desire and the association with women empowerment. Women empowerment was measured by their participation in household decision-making and attitude towards wife-beating. The negative binomial regression model was used to assess women’s perceived ideal number of children, and multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate women’s ability to achieve their preferred fertility desire.ResultsOur study found that empowered women have a relatively low ideal number of children irrespective of the measures used to assess women empowerment. In this study, the measures were participation in household decision-making (incidence rate ratio (IRR): 0.92, 95% CI: 0.91 to 0.93) and attitude towards wife-beating (IRR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.95 to 0.97). In the LMRCs, household decision-making and negative attitude towards wife-beating have been found associated with 1.12 and 1.08 times greater odds of having more than their ideal number of children.ConclusionOur findings suggest that women’s perceived fertility desire can be achieved by enhancing their empowerment. Therefore, a modified community-based family planning programme at the national level is required, highlighting the importance of women’s empowerment on reproductive healthcare as a part of the mission to assist women and couples to have only the number of children they desire.

scholarly journals Women empowerment and minimum daily meal frequency among infants and young children in Ghana: analysis of Ghana demographic and health survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis Kobina Dadzie ◽  
Joshua Amo-Adjei ◽  
Kobina Esia-Donkoh
Keyword(s):  
Health Survey ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Women's Empowerment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Women’S Empowerment ◽  
Women Empowerment ◽  
Meal Frequency ◽  
Significant Positive Association ◽  
Large Household ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Background The nutritional quality of food has an important impact on the health and well-being of families, especially children whose bodies need to grow, develop and reach their full physical and mental potential. Traditionally, women in Ghana provide care and nourishment for their children and families if they have the means to do so or if they are financially, legally and socially empowered. Women’s empowerment is not only important for women’s human rights, but also improves nutrition and health outcomes of both mothers and their children. Women’s empowerment is concerned with increasing ability to make strategic life choices in situations where the ability was hitherto denied. This study sought to investigate the association between women’s empowerment and minimum daily meal frequency (minimum number of meals to be consumed in a day) in Ghana. Methods The study used data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS). A sample of 1640 mother-child dyad was used. Mothers ages ranged from 15 to 49 while children’s ages ranged from 6 to 23 months. Univariate and multiple linear regression techniques were applied to identify women empowerment (economic, socio-familial and legal) and sociodemographic factors associated with minimum daily meal frequency scores. Data was analyzed by the STATA statistical package software version 13.0. Statistical significance level was set at P < 0.10. Results Data from decisions on large household purchases (β = 0.351, p < 0.01) family visits (β = 0.743, p < 0.01), home ownership (β = − 0.245, p < 0.10), age of child (β = 1.387, p < 0.01), mother’s educational attainment (β = 0.496, p < 0.10) and place of residence (β = − 0.298, p < 0.10) showed significant positive association with minimum daily meal frequency in Ghana. Conclusion Minimum daily meal frequency was largely influenced by economic and socio-familial factors that contribute to empowerment of women. as decisions on large household purchases and family visits showed significant positive association with minimum daily meal frequency. Interventional programs should target households and mothers with lower socio-demographic characteristics such as lower educational levels and low economic status to improve minimal daily meal frequency in their children thereby ensuring better child health and well-being.

scholarly journals Women’s empowerment is associated with maternal nutrition and low birth weight: Evidence from Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alamgir Kabir ◽  
Md Mahbubur Rashid ◽  
Kamal Hossain ◽  
Md Arifuzzaman Khan ◽  
Shegufta Shefa Sikder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Birth Weight ◽  
Low Birth Weight ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Maternal Nutrition ◽  
Women's Empowerment ◽  
Wealth Quintile ◽  
Women’S Empowerment ◽  
Demographic Health Survey ◽  
Maternal Undernutrition

Abstract Background : The burden of maternal undernutrition and low birth weight (LBW) incurs enormous economic costs due to their adverse consequences. Women’s empowerment is believed to be one of the key factors for attaining maternal and child health and nutritional goals. Our objective was to investigate the association of women’s empowerment with maternal undernutrition and LBW. Methods : We used nationally representative data from the Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey for 2011 and 2014. We analysed 27,357 women and 9,234 mother-child pairs. A women’s empowerment index (WEI) was constructed using principal component analysis with five groups of indicators: a) education, b) access to socio-familial decision making, c) economic contribution and access to economic decision making, d) attitudes towards domestic violence and e) mobility. We estimated odds ratios as the measure of association between the WEI and the outcome measures using generalized estimating equations to account for the cluster level correlation. Results: The overall prevalence of maternal undernutrition was 20% and LBW was 18%. The WEI was significantly associated with both maternal undernutrition and LBW with a dose-response relationship. The adjusted odds of having a LBW baby was 32% [AOR (95% CI):0.68 (0.57, 0.82)] lower in the highest quartile of the WEI relative to the lowest quartile. Household wealth significantly modified the effect of the WEI on maternal nutrition.; in the highest wealth quintile, the odds of maternal undernutrition was 54% [AOR (95% CI): 0.46 (0.33, 0.64)] lower while in the lowest wealth quintile the odds of undernutrition was only 18% [AOR (95% CI): 0.82 (0.67, 1.00)] lower comparing the highest WEI quartile with the lowest WEI quartile. However, the absolute differences in prevalence of undernutrition between the highest and lowest WEI quartiles were similar across wealth quintiles (6-8%). Conclusions: This study used a comprehensive measure of women’s empowerment and provides strong evidence that low levels of women’s empowerment is associated with maternal undernutrition as well as with delivering LBW babies in Bangladesh. Therefore, policies to increase empowerment of women would contribute to improved public health.

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