|
pubmed:otherAbstract |
PIP: The 1978 National Survey of Fertility, Family Planning, and Communication of Guatemala provided the opportunity to study the effect of accessibility to contraceptive source on contraceptive prevalence. Guatemala's 2 ethnic groups are the Ladinos and the Indians. Demographic characteristics were represented by age of woman, number of living children, and desire for more children. Socioeconomic characteristics were educational status, urban-rural residence, and employment status. The survey found that a substantially lower proportion of Indian couples (4%) than Ladino couples (27%) was using contraception outside the Department of Guatemala, but the 2 groups have similar birth rates, probably due to the pattern of prolonged breastfeeding among Indians. Outside the Department of Guatemala, Indians marry younger than Ladinos; 50% of 15-19 year old Indian women were married (including consensual unions) compared with 32% of Ladino women. For Ladinos the use of reversible modern methods consistently decreased with an increase in average travel time to the source of contraception, but Indians' use of contraception apparently bears little relationship to accessibility. Thus, community-based contraceptive distribution programs may be effective for Ladinos, but different strategies may be required for Indians, including an independent design of information, education, and communications programs for either clinic or community-based programs.
|
