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Field
Abstract
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Before
The total fertility rate in rural Tanzania is nearly four times higher than the global rate. In the northern rural Meatu District, only 12 percent of women are using contraceptives, although 89 percent report wanting to delay or prevent pregnancy. This study evaluates the effect of a family planning program designed to improve information about contraceptives through a randomized control trial. I estimate the effect of asymmetric spousal information, randomizing the inclusion of husbands in household consultations about family planning. I find that the informational treatment had a significant effect on reducing pregnancies. Women who benefited from asymmetric information and consulted with a family planning worker alone (without their husbands) reduced pregnancies by a significantly larger amount (16 percentage point). This research provides support for community-based health services and demonstrates the trade-offs of providing asymmetric information to spouses.
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After
The total fertility rate in rural Tanzania is nearly four times higher than the global rate. In the northern rural Meatu District, only 12 percent of women are using contraceptives, although 89 percent report wanting to delay or prevent pregnancy. This study evaluates the effect of a family planning program designed to improve information about contraceptives through a randomized control trial. I estimate the effect of asymmetric spousal information, randomizing the inclusion of husbands in household consultations about family planning. I find that the informational treatment had a significant effect on reducing pregnancies. Women who consulted with the family planning worker together with their husbands had a larger increase in contraceptives use and a large decrease in pregnancies than women who consulted alone. However, the effect of the family planning program on fertility preferences remains ambiguous; this research question is still being explored.
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