Effects of reasons for limiting fertility on contraceptive use in rural southern Mozambique

Sarah R. Hayford, Arizona State University
Victor Agadjanian, Arizona State University

Continued low rates of contraceptive usage in sub-Saharan Africa have been investigated in terms of factors related to contraceptive supply and in terms of individual and family characteristics associated with lower or higher use. This analysis extends previous research on the determinants of contraceptive use by analyzing contraceptive use as a product of women’s motivation to limit fertility. We use unique survey data collected in rural southern Mozambique to consider the association between women’s stated reasons for limiting childbearing and the use of modern contraceptive methods. Results suggest that economic motivations to limit fertility are more strongly associated with contraceptive use than reasons driven by health concerns or desires to space children appropriately. These findings have both methodological implications for the measurement of fertility intentions as well as substantive implications for policy makers and health care providers.