Which factors predict fertility intentions of married men and women? Results from the 2012 Niger Demographic and Health Survey

Abstract

Introduction Niger is the country with the highest total fertility rate in the world. In the present study, we investigated factors associated with the desire for more children among married men and women in Niger. Materials and methods We utilised data from the 2012 Niger Demographic and Health Survey. The outcome variable for the study was fertility intentions. The data were analysed with Stata version 14.0. Both descriptive (frequencies and percentages) and inferential (binary logistic regression) analyses were carried out. Results Desire for more children was 97.2% and 87.2% among men and women respectively. Women aged 45–49 were less likely to desire more children, compared to those aged 25–39 [aOR = 0.13, CI = 0.11–0.16]. The odds of desire for more children were high in rural areas, compared to urban areas [aOR = 1.61, CI = 1.20–2.17]. Childbearing women with seven or more births were less likely to desire more children, compared to those with 1–3 births [aOR = 0.09, CI = 0.06–0.14]. Men aged 50–59 were less likely to desire more children, compared to those aged 25–39 [aOR = 0.13, CI = 0.05–0.35]. Men with secondary/higher level of education were less likely to desire more children, compared to those with no formal education [aOR = 0.24, CI = 0.11–0.52]. Childbearing men with seven or more births were less likely to desire more children, compared to those with 1–3 births [aOR = 0.06, CI = 0.01–0.30]. Conclusion This study shows high fertility desire among men and women in Niger. However, the prevalence of fertility desire among men is higher than that of women. A number of socio-economic and demographic factors were found to be associated with desire for more children among men and women in Niger. This calls for a collective effort to educate women and men in Niger on the negative consequences of rapid population growth and large family sizes.

Third birth intention of the childbearing-age population in mainland China and sociodemographic differences: a cross-sectional survey

“…Historically, fertility decreases started earlier and developed faster in cities than in rural regions. In the present study, the third birth intention of the rural population was 1.203 times that of the urban population, which was consistent with the results from the 2012 Niger Demographic and Health Survey ( OR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.20-2.17) [ 51 ]. Previous studies have also shown that the realization of fertility intention in rural areas is significantly higher than that in urban areas [ 52 , 53 ].…”

“I Got What I Came for”: A Qualitative Exploration into Family Planning Client Satisfaction in Dosso Region, Niger

“…32 Research from West and Central Africa shows that contraceptive use is low in this region for a multitude of factors, including the desire for large families, opposition to use, fear of side effects, and limited access to FP services. 33–35 …”

Assessment of segmentation and targeted counseling on family planning quality of care and client satisfaction: a facility-based survey of clients in Niger

“…Numerous reasons for the low use of contraception in Niger and other parts of West and Central Africa have been identified including continued desire for large families [ 5 ], lack of access to FP services, fear of side effects or health effects, and opposition to FP use [ 6 , 7 ]. In addition, provider bias, that is providers choosing not to offer FP methods (or specific types of methods) to women based on age, parity, and marital status, affects use in many countries [ 8 ].…”