Male involvement in family planning: A KABP study of Agra District, Uttar Pradesh

Although lack of male involvement in family planning has been a topic of research and discussion since the early 1980s, during the last five years it has become an important issue for women advocates, researchers, and many international agencies that are committed to reproductive health and gender equality. The large number of articles on this subject and growing number of conferences, research projects, and debates are testimonies to the importance of the issue, both from the programmatic point of view and as a process for bringing about a gender balance in men\u27s and women\u27s reproductive rights and responsibility. This paper addresses the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices of rural males toward various aspects of family formation including reproduction and contraceptive use. The study was undertaken in the rural areas of Agra district, in Uttar Pradesh. To assess the knowledge and attitudes of males, 517 currently married males were interviewed. Out of those interviewed, 317 of their wives were also interviewed. The two sets of data provide an opportunity to compare the attitudes of males and females on issues related to family formation

Reproductive behavior among Muslims in Uttar Pradesh

Muslims form the largest minority group in India, according to the 1991 census, constituting about 12 percent of the country\u27s population. India has the second largest Muslim population in the world. The growth rate of the Muslim population in India during the last three decades is somewhat higher than the non-Muslim population. The present paper, based on a large sample survey carried out in Uttar Pradesh, India, compares the reproductive behavior of Hindus and Muslims. An attempt has been made to examine the determinants of their differential fertility and family planning behavior

Strengthening social science research on women\u27s health: Lessons learned from a capacity building programme

The International Conference on Population and Development in 1994 led to an upsurge in interest in implementing reproductive health (RH) programs worldwide. The urgency to act has led to the development of disparate activities in several developing countries including India. While programs have been growing in numbers, their quality is in question. A fundamental problem has been lack of capacity at all levels of the health service system to respond to the paradigm shift articulated by the advocates of the reproductive health and rights agenda. To redesign programs, considerable research must be undertaken to understand the health needs and sociocultural factors that affect the health of women, men, and young people. Growing concern for women’s health, scarcity of reliable data on RH problems, and lack of trained social scientists to undertake high-quality research relevant for policies and programs led to the development of this project. This report discusses how strengthening social science research capacity was initiated and evolved, and provides valuable insights and important lessons for future endeavors to strengthen capacity in India and other developing countries

Lessons learned from a community-based distribution programme in rural Bihar

The state of Bihar in North India ranks near the bottom of the Indian states in terms of its demographic situation. The infant mortality rate as of 1991 was 69 per 1,000, and the contraceptive prevalence rate as of 1990 was 26 percent. Bihar ranks near the bottom among other states of India in almost all indicators of social and economic development. One reason for its low performance is weak management. Besides poverty, a poor communications network and lack of proper infrastructure further make the implementation of programs difficult. Workers have misconceptions about FP methods, and educational activities are poorly designed and implemented. Grassroot workers generally do not attend to their work and program outreach is limited. Given the situation, it is difficult to increase acceptance of FP, particularly among lower parity couples, unless the whole program is revamped and innovative approaches are introduced to increase program outreach and quality of services. The present study, as stated in this report, monitors and documents one such innovative approach presently being implemented by the Bihar State Cooperative Milk Producers Federation in collaboration with the Centre for Development and Population Activities, Washington, DC

District level baseline survey of family planning program in Uttar Pradesh: Jaunpur

Uttar Pradesh (UP) is the most populous state in India, with a population of 139 million, as of the 1991 census. The socioeconomic profile is characterized by relatively low levels of per capita income and literacy. Further, assessment of the family planning program and the demographic status as measured by Couple Protection Rate (CPR) and Mortality/Fertility rates mark UP as one of the country’s more demographically disadvantaged states. UP has a relatively higher Infant Mortality Rate, crude death rate, birth rate, and total fertility rate than the country as a whole, whereas CPR is much too low. The district of Jaunpur falls in the Eastern Region of the state, which on the whole is more disadvantaged than the Western Region. As noted in this report, no systematic surveys have ever been done to provide district-level estimates of fertility and mortality or CPR except in a few districts. The present survey is designed to provide valid estimates of vital rates and CPR at the district level and to fill gaps in the available information on several aspects related to the demographic situation and family planning program

District level baseline survey of family planning program in Uttar Pradesh: Sitapur

The Government of India and the United States Agency for International Development began the Innovations in Family Planning Services Projects (IFPS) in Uttar Pradesh under the management of the State Innovations in Family Planning Services Agency (SIFPSA). IFPS’s objectives are to increase access to family planning (FP) services, improve the quality of health care services, and promote contraceptive use. While achieving these goals, the IFPS project will support service innovations in the public and nongovernmental sectors, and contraceptive social marketing mechanisms. Baseline information being sought includes desired family size and sex preference among mothers, utilization of health services and immunization of mothers and children, maternal and child health care and delivery practices, contraceptive information and services and satisfaction with health providers, contraceptive use and unmet need, and media exposure and the role of the media in promoting small-family norm. The Operations Research Group, at the request of SIFPSA, has carried out the present baseline survey in the district of Sitapur. The baseline information will be used as the reference for the measurement of improvements in contraceptive use

District level baseline survey of family planning program in Uttar Pradesh: Gorakhpur

The state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) in India had a population of 139 million, as of the 1991 census. The socioeconomic profile is characterized by relatively low levels of per capita income and literacy. Further, assessment of the family planning program and the demographic status as measured by Couple Protection Rate (CPR) and Mortality/Fertility rates marks UP as one of the country’s more demographically disadvantaged states. UP has a relatively higher infant mortality rate, crude death rate, birth rate, and total fertility rate than the country as a whole, whereas CPR is much too low. The district of Gorakhpur falls in the Eastern Region of the state, which on the whole is more disadvantaged than the Western Region. As noted in this report, no systematic surveys have ever been done to provide district-level estimates of fertility and mortality or CPR except in a few districts. The present survey is designed to provide valid estimates of vital rates and CPR at the district level and to fill gaps in the available information on several aspects related to the demographic situation and family planning program

District level baseline survey of family planning program in Uttar Pradesh: Ghaziabad

Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India with 139 million individuals, per the 1991 census. The Sample Registration System in 1992 indicated a high population growth rate of 2.3 percent and a very high birth rate of 36.2 per 1,000. Several measures have been taken to contain the growth and bring a rapid decline in the fertility rate. The Government of India and USAID began the Innovations in Family Planning Services Project under the management of the State Innovations in Family Planning Services Agency. The goal was to reduce the fertility rate in Uttar Pradesh by expanding and improving family planning (FP) services. Since there has been differential impact of FP services over the years in the state’s different districts, it was considered desirable to take up the district as a unit and develop an adequate data base for generating suitable intervention programs. Baseline surveys were conducted in 14 districts in different regions of the state. The Centre for Development Research and Training, Madras, conducted the surveys in Ghaziabad and Tehri Garhwal. This preliminary report contains the details of the survey conducted in Ghaziabad district

District level baseline survey of family planning program in Uttar Pradesh: Jaunpur

Uttar Pradesh (UP) is the most populous state in India, with a population of 139 million, as of the 1991 census. The socioeconomic profile is characterized by relatively low levels of per capita income and literacy. Further, assessment of the family planning program and the demographic status as measured by Couple Protection Rate (CPR) and Mortality/Fertility rates mark UP as one of the country’s more demographically disadvantaged states. UP has a relatively higher Infant Mortality Rate, crude death rate, birth rate, and total fertility rate than the country as a whole, whereas CPR is much too low. The district of Jaunpur falls in the Eastern Region of the state, which on the whole is more disadvantaged than the Western Region. As noted in this report, no systematic surveys have ever been done to provide district-level estimates of fertility and mortality or CPR except in a few districts. The present survey is designed to provide valid estimates of vital rates and CPR at the district level and to fill gaps in the available information on several aspects related to the demographic situation and family planning program