Working Life Tables for South Africa, 1996-2001

This paper presents the results of the construction of a working life tables for males and females in South Africa using the 1996 and 2001 population censuses. The main objective of the paper is to illustrate the use of life table analysis in the examination of the labour force using South African data. The study indicates that based on the 1996 census a South African male who survives to age 15 is expected to live 40.9 years, out of which 35.3 years are expected to be spent in active status and the remaining 5.3 years in inactive years. Similar values for South African females are 49.9 years, 37.9 years and 12 years, respectively. Using 2001 census the study indicates that a South African male who survives to age 15 was expected to live 43.9 years of which 36 years will be in active and 8 years will be inactive whereas a South African female was expected to live 50 years of which 34 years will be active and 16 years will be inactive. It was estimated that out of the total number of males who left the working population in 1996, 50 percent left because of death and another 50 percent left for other reasons other than death. The corresponding figures for females are 28 percent and 62 percent respectively. In 2001, 64 percent of the males left the labour force due to deaths whereas 36 percent left due to other causes. Similar figures for females are 45 percent and 55 percent respectively. These figures suggest an increased proportion of men and women are leaving the labour force due to deaths. This means that mortality takes a heavy toll of the seemingly short economically active life. Probably, this is a reflection of the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS on the working population

Health Care Factors Influencing Teen Mothers’ Use Of Contraceptives in Malawi

Objective: The study seeks to examine factors associated with teen mothers’ use of modern contraceptives after giving birth.Methods: The 2010 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey data was used to test the study objective. A sample of 12, 911 teen mothers aged between 10 and 18 years were extracted from 23, 020 women and were asked of contraceptive usage after first birth experiences, in which, a logistic regression model was employed to estimate correlates of contraceptive usage.Results: The study found that 54.8% of the teen mothers are still at a risk of having a repeat teenage pregnancy due to their non-use of contraceptives. This implies that less than 50% of teen mothers use contraceptives after experiencing teen birth. It is noted that health care factors such as use of antenatal care, awareness of pregnancy complications, attainment of primary education and exposure to media predict teen mothers’ use of moderncontraceptives.Conclusion: Despite endeavours made by government to improve access to family planning, health care challenges still exist affecting women’s use of contraceptives in Malawi. Ameliorating these health encounters call for widerange approaches aimed at addressing teen birth comprehensively in order to prevent early motherhood and subsequently high fertility.Funding: None declaredKeywords: teen births, teen mothers, antenatal care, education, Malaw

Determinants of Unmet Need for Modern Contraception and Reasons for Non-use among Married Women in Rural Areas of Burkina Faso

Burkina-Faso (TFR=6.0) is among the top-ten high fertility countries world-wide and CPR (15%) among women is low. This study examined the factors associated with non-use of modern contraception among married women residing in the rural areas of Burkina-Faso. The study used 2010 Burkina Faso Demographic and Health Survey data-set and focussed on married women aged 15-49 years (n=7,191). Chi-square and logistic regression techniques were used for the analysis (a=5%). Mean number of living children was significantly higher among women who have UNMC (3.92) than those with met need (3.01). Modern CPR and UNMC among married women was 12.7% and 40.7% respectively. The multivariate analysis reveals that being married more than once increases the likelihood of UNMC (OR=1.304; C.I=1.0821.571, p<0.05). Husbands’ approval of FP is a protective factor of UNMC (OR=0.858; C.I=0.7560.975, p<0.05). Husbands’ approval and health education on benefits of FP are important factors to consider in strategies aimed at reducing UNMC in Burkina-Faso.

Estimates of inter-provincial migration in South Africa, 1996-2011

Migration is an important component of population change in South Africa. Unfortunately, like in most countries, reliable data on migration is not readily available. The aim of this study is to estimate net internal migration for provinces in South Africa using Census Survival Ratio Method (CSRM). This method is underutilized in demographic research in the country and is based on the reported age-sex statistics collected in the census and demographic surveys. The method compares the projected population for each age and sex based on the first censuses and the reported population at the second census. In absence of errors in the age statistics the difference between the projected and enumerated populations could be attributed to net migration. The results indicate that during the intercensal period 1996-2001, Gauteng and Western Cape were the major receiving provinces whereas the other remaining provinces were the sending provinces in the country. The results are consistent with findings based on other estimation procedures and correspond to nature of social and economic development in the country. One policy implication of the study is that efforts should continue being made to make the sending provinces more attractive so as to reduce the inflow of people to the crowded and more affluent provinces of Gauteng and Western Cape

Prevalence and Determinants of Unintended Pregnancies in Malawi

Available statistics indicate high levels of unintended pregnancies in Africa. This study examines the prevalence and determinants of unintended pregnancies in Malawi based on 2,144 pregnant women extracted from the 2010 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey. Data were analyzed using univariate, bivariate and multinomial logistic regression models. Nearly 43% of the pregnancies were unintended of which 25% were mistimed. Multivariate analysis indicated that mistimed pregnancies are significantly influenced by the age of the respondent, fertility preference and number of children ever born. Among the variables that significantly increased the likelihood of unwanted pregnancies are age of respondent, wealth status, fertility preference, and region of residence even though potential confounding factors were used as control. The study recommends the strengthening of family planning services in order to reduce the level of unintended pregnancies. Focus should be on couples in Central Region and those having large number of childre

Childbearing dynamics among married women of reproductive age in Nigeria: re-affirming the role of education

Nigeria ranks among the high-fertility countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Studies that examine relationship between fertility dynamics and education are important to improving maternal and child health. This study uses 2008 NDHS dataset on births history of married women of childbearing age. Data were analysed using ANOVA, Kaplan-Meier and Cox-proportional hazard models. Mean CEB were 6.72 and 4.31 among women with no formal education and higher education respectively. Majority (38.6%) of the women left 24-35 months births-interval. Women with lower education exhibited shorter births-interval and higher completed fertility than more educated women. The Births Progression Hazard Rate from marriage to 1 birth was higher among highly educated women than those with no education, but reverse pattern was observed at higher order births. This pattern barely changes after controlling for other socio-demographic variables. Education remains an important factor in fertility dynamics in Nigeria; therefore, existing policies addressing female education should be sustained

Social correlates of ownership and utillization of insecticide and utilization of insecticide treated bed-nets for Malaria among women of child bearing ages Mozambique

Insecticide Treated Bednets is one of the interventions in combating malaria which is one of the major public health challenges in Africa. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence and determinants of treated mosquito bed-nets possession and utilization among women of child-bearing ages in Mozambique. The study is based on secondary analysis of 6184 women who were interviewed in the 2018 Malaria Indicator Survey. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test and logistic regressions. The study reveals that 82.1% of the women know that sleeping under treated mosquito bed-net prevents malaria, 90.2% of the women have treated mosquito nets and 77.0% of the women slept under treated mosquito bed-net in the last night prior to the survey. Multivariate logistic regression indicates that type of province of residence, level of education, having radio in the household, wealth index, knowledge that treated mosquito net protects from malaria and seen or heard of malaria messages in last six months prior to survey were significantly associated with ownership of treated mosquito bed-nets. Meanwhile, education, household with radio and age af household head were significantly related to the use of Insecticide Treated Net.Therefore, there is need for interventions for social behaviour change; wide spread of malaria specific messages and continued free distribution of ITNs to poor households. This would help to increase the ownwership and use of insecticide treated bed-nets.As a policy measure, information, education and communication programmes should be intensified, particularly targeting men. Patriarch structures that reinforce power imbalance between men and women should be dismantled

Contraceptive use among Nigerian women with no fertility intention: interaction amid potential causative factors

High fertility (HF) remains a public health problem and intention to reduce fertility is a global phenomenon. The health hazards and economic burden of HF on women are enormous. Contraceptive is widely known as a fertility reduction method. Achieving desirable MDGs and PoA of 1994 ICPD will be an illusion if research on the relationship between fertility intention and contraceptive use is neglected. The study which focused on 2,257 women of childbearing age who do not have any intention to bear more children utilized Nigeria Demographic Health Survey, 2008 dataset. Data was analysed using Chi-square, binary and multinomial logistic regression (=5.0%). Mean age of the women and children ever born were 40.91±5.73 years and 6.28±2.62 respectfully. The prevalence of Current Use of Any Contraceptive Method (CUACM) was 37.6% with 12.4% and 25.2% currently using natural and modern family planning methods respectively. About 7.0% of women in poorest wealth quintile are CUACM compared to 61.8% of those in richest wealth quintile. Current use of modern contraceptive prevalence rate was strikingly higher among Yorubas (41.8%) than the Hausas (3.6%). Multivariate analysis identified age, region, residence, education, ethnicity and family planning media exposure as significant predictors of CUACM. In addition; religion and decision on how to spend family income were identified as predictors of current use of modern contraceptive method (p<0.05). The use of contraceptive is not adequately practiced in Nigeria. The identified predictors of contraceptive use in this study should be considered while designing strategies to improve contraceptive prevalent rate in Nigeria

Letters to the Editor: Adherence to iron supplementation in pregnancy

No Abstrac

Religious perceptions and attitudes of men towards discontinuation of female genital cutting in Nigeria: evidence from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey

Men‘s roles in any patriarchal society and the influence of their religious belief cannot be overemphasized especially in a culturally encrypted matter like female genital cutting (FGC).The study sample consisted of 8,111 men who had previous awareness of FGC from a cross-sectional nationally representative survey in Nigeria. The data took into cognizance the religious belief of the respondents as well as their attitude towards FGC among others. Analytical bivariate and multivariate ordered logistic estimates for FGC discontinuation were considered for the study. Of the total respondents, 29% reported that their religion required FGC for female children. A significantly higher proportion (89.4%; p<0.01) of men whose religion did not require FGC were found subscribing to its discontinuation. Significantly lower odds of FGC discontinuation exist among those whose religious belief requires FGC practice. Religious teachings and beliefs are crucial correlates of men‘s attitude towards FGC. There is therefore a need to consider the religious beliefs of men when engaging them in strategies to fight FGC.Keywords: Female Genital Cutting, Perception, Attitude, Religion, Nigeri