We analyze variations in contraceptive use and age cohort effects of women born from 1957 to 1991 based on the hypothesis that individuals born at different time periods experience different socio-economic circumstances. Differential exposure to socioeconomic circumstances may influence women's attitudes and behavior towards critical life issues such as contraceptive use. We use data from the 2006 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey by limiting the analysis to 5,362 women who were currently married (or cohabiting) at the time of the survey. Logistic regression analyses show a higher likelihood of contraceptive use among older cohorts than younger cohorts. These results call for interventions that target young women to reduce fertility and reproductive health challenges associated with too many or too closely spaced births. Although variations in age cohorts are critical in influencing current contraceptive use, other factors such as wealth status, education level, and place of residence are equally important. Thus, interventions that focused on selected regions (e.g., the North and the West Nile), rural communities, and efforts to increase literacy levels will accelerate uptake of contraception and improve maternal and child health. 1. Introduction Age, period, and cohort effects on sociodemographic outcomes are typically interlinked and generally, researchers cannot study them in isolation. Age is a summary measure of exposure to social influences or norms. Therefore, to understand variations in health and demographic rates, it is important to measure the underlying variables for which age is a proxy [1]. Specifically, age cohort differences refer to variations in effects that people experience by virtue of being born during different time periods [1]. A cohort effect is an outcome of an exterior event that affects individuals born in the same period who eventually share a common history that transforms their exposure to the “treatment” such as education or health policy. In this study, we examine the effect of age cohort differences on contraceptive use among Ugandan women (currently married or cohabiting) interviewed in the 2006 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). Our study is motivated by the premise that people born during different periods experience different events and processes that are likely to shape their behavior and attitudes towards critical reproductive health issues such as contraceptive use [2]. Contraception, defined as methods or devices used to prevent pregnancy, is categorized into two types: modern and traditional
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