Fertility preferences and contraceptive use in Pakistan

Area of Science:

• Demography
• Sociology
• Public Health

Background:

• Fertility preferences are crucial for understanding population dynamics.
• Assessing changes in reproductive goals is vital for family planning program evaluation.
• Previous research suggests conscious choice in family size, but trends require ongoing analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze fertility preference levels and trends in Pakistan from 1975-1980.
• To determine if preferences changed over time, independent of family planning program interventions.
• To test the hypothesis of conscious reproductive goal setting and stability in preferences.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of data from the 1975 Pakistan Fertility Survey and the 1979-1980 Population, Labour Force and Migration (PLM) Survey.
• Examination of fertility preferences, family size desires, and contraceptive behavior.
• Consistency checks between stated preferences and actual fertility behavior.

Main Results:

• High consistency observed between the two surveys regarding fertility preferences.
• No significant changes in the magnitude of family size preferences between 1975 and 1979-1980.
• Fertility behavior and contraceptive use demonstrated consistency with stated fertility attitudes.

Conclusions:

• Fertility preferences in Pakistan were stable during the study period.
• Married couples demonstrated conscious decision-making regarding reproductive goals.
• The findings support the hypothesis of stable fertility preferences, even without intensive family planning outreach.