Determinants of unintended pregnancy/childbearing: Re-analysis of the 2003 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS)-Philippines

• Main Author: Nacionales, Lourdes Palomo
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2008
• Subjects: Unplanned pregnancy; Pregnancy; Philippine National Demographic and Health Survey; Public Health; Women's Health
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/3746; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etd_masteral/article/10584/viewcontent/CDTG004519_P.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

Filipino women still bear children more than they desire. The gap between wanted and actual fertility rates has remained stable at one birth which is considered excess fertility and commonly classified as unintended pregnancy. This study sought to determine the factors that influenced the Filipino women's classification of their unintended pregnancy/childbearing. Data from the 2003 Philippine National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) was used for this research. The study utilized bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. The main dependent variable was the Women's Classification of Unintended Pregnancy - - Mistimed and Unwanted, which derived from the 5,087 women respondents who were currently pregnant and had recent births for the last five years during the conduct of the 2003 NDHS interview. Results showed that the interplay of different factors has great influence to women's pregnancy intentions. It seemed that unintended pregnancy/childbearing occurs among all populations of women, but the experience is relatively more common in several specific groups: women who are unmarried, women of either end of reproductive span (young and old), women with too many children, women who have not yet achieved the son-daughter balance among their living children, and women with pregnancies that come too soon after the previous birth. It can also be considered failure of a considerable number of these women in planning their pregnancy and therefore the excess fertility occurs as revealed by the data. Moreover, the rate of unintended pregnancies across the different demographic and socio economic conditions of the mothers varies significantly, but remains a widespread concern. Whatever and wherever its pocket of concentration, the fact remains that all over the country, the level of unintended pregnancy/childbearing both mistimed and unwanted is prevalent - - it is high and needs special attention. A supportive environment and enabling conditions should be created for women/mothers whether executive actions or legislative in nature. This could be in terms of allocating resources to operationalize and finance the new programs as well as re-designing the already existing programs of the government that laid bare considerations in planning for the reproductive behavior, particularly fertility regulation and women empowerment. All these would facilitate and improve the current demographic and socio economic conditions of women, especially those who are more exposed and highly at risk of unintended pregnancies.