Family planning outcomes and primary school attendance in sub-Saharan Africa

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 16, 2026

Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children
10:57

Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children

Published on: August 22, 2012

Abiba Longwe1, Jeroen Smits

  • 1Nijmegen Center for Economics, Institute for Management Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9108, 6500 HK Nijmegen, Netherlands. a.longwe@fmn.ru.nl

Studies in Family Planning
|November 27, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Improving family planning and pregnancy planning in sub-Saharan Africa enhances children's primary school enrollment. Better planning increases schooling opportunities and resource efficiency for families and communities.

Area of Science:

  • Social Sciences
  • Demography
  • Education Policy

Background:

  • Family planning significantly impacts child development and educational attainment.
  • Understanding the interplay between reproductive health and schooling is crucial for resource allocation in developing nations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between women's family planning outcomes and primary school enrollment for children aged 8-11.
  • To explore how socioeconomic and demographic factors mediate this relationship across sub-Saharan Africa.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of household and community-level data for 103,000 children across 30 sub-Saharan African countries.
  • Statistical modeling to assess the impact of birth intervals, sibling proximity, and maternal pregnancy status on school enrollment.

Main Results:

  • Short birth intervals, presence of a young sibling, or maternal pregnancy were negatively associated with school enrollment, independent of socioeconomic status.
  • Contextual factors significantly influenced the strength of these associations, highlighting the need for tailored interventions.

Conclusions:

  • Effective pregnancy planning by women can improve children's access to primary education.
  • Interventions should consider local contexts to maximize the positive impact of family planning on educational outcomes and resource utilization.

More Related Videos

Breakfast Habits among Schoolchildren in the City of Uruguaiana, Brazil06:48

Breakfast Habits among Schoolchildren in the City of Uruguaiana, Brazil

Published on: July 29, 2020

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting14:43

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting

Published on: January 12, 2018

Related Concept Videos

Primary Healthcare Services01:30

Primary Healthcare Services

Primary care promotes wellness and prevents disease. This care includes health promotion, education, protection (such as immunizations), early disease screening, and environmental considerations. Settings providing this type of healthcare include physician offices, public health clinics, school nursing, and community health nursing.
In 1978, international leaders convened in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan, for what would be a pivotal event in global health. The Alma-Ata Declaration was the first to call...
Birth Control Methods01:22

Birth Control Methods

Vasectomy is a surgical form of male sterilization that involves severing and sealing the vasa deferentia, preventing sperm from mixing with semen during ejaculation. Because a vasectomy does not impact the testes' ability to produce testosterone, hormone levels, libido, and sexual function generally remain unchanged. While vasectomy is highly effective in preventing pregnancy, with a success rate near 99.85%, rare cases of recanalization (spontaneous reconnection) can occur. Although vasectomy...
Applications of Life Tables01:22

Applications of Life Tables

Life tables are versatile across various fields, providing a quantitative basis for analyzing mortality and survival rates. Whether used by demographers, actuaries, epidemiologists, or sociologists, life tables offer valuable insights into the dynamics of life and death, facilitating informed decisions in public health, insurance, conservation, and beyond. Their broad applicability highlights the interconnectedness of demographic data with practical outcomes in everyday life and strategic...
Population Growth00:57

Population Growth

Population size is dynamic, increasing with birth rates and immigration, and decreasing with death rates and emigration. In ideal conditions with unlimited resources, populations can increase exponentially, which plots as a J-shaped growth rate curve of population size against time. This type of curve is characteristic of newly-introduced invasive species, or populations that have suffered catastrophic declines and are rebounding.
Close Relationships and Culture01:29

Close Relationships and Culture

Culture shapes how people approach attraction, choose partners, and build long-term relationships. While some preferences in mate selection appear consistent across cultures, such as men valuing physical attractiveness and women emphasizing financial resources, cultural contexts influence how these preferences are expressed and prioritized. Marriage extends beyond romantic ideals in many societies and is deeply embedded in social, economic, and religious frameworks.The Role of Culture in Mate...
Principles of Disease Surveillance01:26

Principles of Disease Surveillance

Disease surveillance is the systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of health data essential to the planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health practice. This process integrates data dissemination to entities responsible for preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability. Surveillance systems provide crucial information for action, helping public health authorities make informed decisions to manage and prevent outbreaks, ensure public safety, optimize...