Volume 19 - Article 55 | Pages 1851–1882
Beyond denomination: The relationship between religion and family planning in rural Malawi
| Date received: | 25 Jul 2008 |
| Date published: | 24 Oct 2008 |
| Word count: | 7402 |
| Keywords: | family planning, fertility, religion, social interaction, sub-Saharan Africa |
| DOI: | 10.4054/DemRes.2008.19.55 |
Abstract
Despite the centrality of religion and fertility to life in rural Africa, the relationship between the two remains poorly understood. The study presented here uses unique integrated individual- and congregational-level data from rural Malawi to examine religious influences on contraceptive use. In this religiously diverse population, we find evidence that the particular characteristics of a congregation—leader’s positive attitudes toward family planning and discussion of sexual morality, which do not fall along broad denominational lines—are more relevant than denominational categories for predicting women’s contraceptive use. We further find evidence for a relationship between religious socialization and contraceptive behavior.
Author's Affiliation
Sara Yeatman - University of Colorado Denver, United States of America
Jenny Trinitapoli - University of Chicago, United States of America
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