Data:
The study used data from the latest round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), an Indian version of the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) carried out during 2015-16. The main objectives of the survey are to provide a reliable estimation on fertility, maternal and child mortality, family planning, reproductive and child health, nutritional status of children, utilization of maternal and child health care services and women’s autonomy. The survey adopted a multistage sampling design, and details of sampling design are provided NFHS-4 report [9].
The NFHS collected data using different interview schedules- household schedule and eligible women, men and biomarker schedule. The present analysis is based on the information related to a weight age sample of 339,537 currently married, non-pregnant and fecund women who have demand for family planning (demand for spacing or limiting childbearing). The details of the sampling weights are given in the NFHS-4 report [9].
Outcome variables
Family planning demand refers to either demand for space or limits childbearing. Total family planning demand denotes the sum of demand for spacing and limiting [9].The selected outcomes variables are- met need for limiting demand or using any contraceptive methods for limit childbearing, met need for limiting childbearing by using any reversible contraceptive method and met need for limiting childbearing by using any traditional contraceptive method. The study used revised definitions of unmet and met need for family planning as well as spacing and limiting childbirths [17].
Key definitions:
Demand for limiting childbearing: It refers the proportion of currently married women who want no more children or discontinue childbearing.
Unmet need for limiting childbearing: It includes pregnant or amenorrhoeic women whose pregnancy was unwanted, women who were non-pregnant ornon-amenorrhoeic, fecund and who were not using any contraceptives method and want no more children. And when above mentioned women are using any contraceptive methods to limit childbearing then it called met need for limiting childbearing.
In this paper, the contraceptives methods are primarily classified into two broad classes- any permanent contraceptive methods and any reversible contraceptive methods. Further, any reversible methods classified into two sub-categories- any modern reversible contraceptive methods and any traditional reversible methods. Any permanent methods include male and female sterilizations. Any reversible contraceptive methods include pill, IUD, injectable, male condom, female condom, standard days method (SDM), diaphragm, foam/jelly, locational amenorrhoea method (LAM), and other modern methods, rhythm, withdrawal and other traditional methods. Modern reversible contraceptive methods include all reversible contraceptives excluding rhythm, withdrawal and other traditional methods. Traditional contraceptive method includes rhythm, withdrawal, and other traditional methods.
Defining Predictor Variables
This paper used a range of socioeconomic and demographic variables in the analysis that has been documented to be significantly associated with unmet and met need for family planning in India and elsewhere in many previous studies. These variables are- respondent's age (15-19,20-24,25-29,30-34, 35-39, 40-44 and 45-49 years), parity (0, 1, 2, 3, 4+), children sex composition (no child, only daughter and at least one son), women's years of schooling (illiterate, 1-5, 6-10,11+), wealth status (poorest, poorer, middle, richer and richest), religion (Hindu, Muslim, Christians and other) and caste (General, Other backward classes [OBC], Scheduled Caste [SC], Scheduled Tribe [ST] and others), mass media exposure (no, yes), place of residence (urban, rural) and geographical region (North, Central, East, North-East, West and South). The division of geographical regions was taken from NFHS-4 report [9].
Statistical Analysis:
Bivariate and binary logistic regression analyses were applied to accomplish the study objectives. Bivariate analysis was carried out to examine the levels and patterns of the total demand for limiting childbearing, demand satisfied for limiting childbearing and types of contraceptives using for limiting childbearing by background characteristics.
The three separate binary logistic regression analysis was performed to find out the socioeconomic correlates of met demand for limiting childbearing, using reversible contraceptive for limiting childbearing and using traditional contraceptives for limiting childbearing. The results of binary logistic regression analysis were presented in the form of adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). The whole analyses were carried out using statistical STATA (version 14.1 SE).
In the present study, we used three different outcome variables related to limiting childbearing and all the variables are dichotomous in nature. These outcome variables are coded as following: demand satisfied for limiting childbearing (unmet need "0", met need "1"), demand satisfied for limiting childbearing by using any reversible contraceptives (any permanent contraceptives "0", any reversible contraceptives "1") and demand satisfied for limiting childbearing by using any traditional contraceptives (modern reversible method"0", traditional method"1").