Background Demand for family planning is predominantly for birth limiting rather than birth spacing in India. Despite several family planning programmes in India, the use of reversible contraception for limiting family planning has been stagnant and largely depends on female sterilization. Though many researchers have examined patterns and determinants of using modern contraception for total family planning, studies on patterns and determinants of contraceptive use for birth limiting are limited in India. This paper examines the patterns of contraceptive use for liming demand and its determinants in India. Methods The National Family Health Survey-4, 2015–16 data was used. Bivariate chi-square significant test and multivariate binary logistic regression model used to accomplish the study objectives. Results Majority of women (86.5%) satisfied limiting demand (SLD) in India; the SLD was found significantly low among the women’s age 15–19 years (53.1%) and parity 0 (42%). The satisfied limiting demand by modern reversible contraception (mrSLD) was found significantly high in age group 15–19 years (49.1%), Muslims (30.6%) and North-east region (45.4%). The satisfied limiting demand by traditional contraception (tSLD) was almost three times higher in North-east region (26.1%) than national average of India (8.7%). The women’s years of schooling, wealth status, religion and presence of son child found to be significant determinants of mrSLD. The likelihood of tSLD was found significantly high among the women who had no son child (AOR = 1.41; 95% CI:1.34, 1.48), Muslim (AOR = 1.78; 95% CI:1.70, 1.87). A considerable regional variability in levels of SLD, mrSLD and tSLD was found in India. Conclusion Public investment in family planning is required to promote and provide subsidized modern reversible contraception (MRC) services, especially to women from North-east region, Muslim, Scheduled tribe, poor household and who had no son child. Improving the quality and availability of MRC services in public health centre will be helpful to increase SLD among the above mentioned women. Besides, the promotion of MRC will be supportive to overcome the issues of sterilization regrets in India.

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Millions of children are left behind due to parental migration. Most out-migrants are unskilled male labour from Empowered Action Group (EAG) states in India.Therefore, the present study tried to compare nutritional outcomes (mainly stunting, wasting, and underweight) of left behind under five (Under-5) children based on the duration of the father migration in India's EAG states. The study used the National Family Health Survey 2015-16 (NFHS 4) data. The multivariate logistic regression models were used to measure the unadjusted and adjusted effects of the duration of father's migration on child malnutrition in the study area. The present study also suggested no significant effect duration of father's migration on under-5 children nutritionexcept underweight. The underweight prevalence was 14% less likely (OR: 0.86 95% CI 0.76-0.97) among the leftbehind children with the duration of father migration more than 12 months compared to their counterpart. The nutritional status was low among all under-five children irrespective of father migration duration in the study area. Still, the under-5 children's malnutrition prevailed noticeably among socio-economically disadvantaged groups. There is a need to implement unique programs and policies related to children's nutrition to eliminate child malnutrition's burning issues among left-behind households.

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Stunted childhood growth is a major child health problem in most of the developing nations. It is a proxy indicator for determining the general health status of the population and is one of the main predictors of child survival. World Health Organisation reported that around 45% of deaths are related to undernutrition in children under five years of age. These deaths fare mainly from low- and middle-income countries. The economic disparity across the socioeconomic and demographic factors among children under-five in Bihar is carried out in this study using the data from the National Family Health Survey conducted during 2015-16. The bivariate analyses were used to achieve the objectives of the analysis. The prevalence of stunting in Bihar (48%) is 10% higher than the national average. The findings show that the children with higher educated mothers, higher birth order, higher age at birth, Magadh region, have a significantly higher economic disparity in stunting among children under-five in Bihar as compared to their counterparts. Therefore, it is recommended that socioeconomically, demographically, and regionally backward sections should get focussed on policy modification and program interventions.