Reviewer’s report
Title:  Age at first marriage, age at first sex, family size preferences, contraception and change in
fertility among women in Uganda: Analysis of the 2006-2016 Period
Version: 0 Date: 06 Oct 2019
Reviewer: Snehanshu Saha
Reviewer's report:
The authors present a factor decomposition model to identify key elements contributing to fertility
among women in Uganda. While the statistics is satisfactory such as CIs don't cross zero implying
factors loading are trustworthy, I don't see anything new as far as conclusions are drawn. While it's
standard to use multivariate decomposition methods, the authors present no justification for using this
method over others, such as ICA. Effects and algebra of confounding variables are not presented
clearly. Allocation of variation under the model needs to derived as well. Did the authors assume
independence of the factors by design? If so, why? Does lifestyle impact fertility? IS it correlated to
age at first marriage?
The analytical component of statistical exercise is almost absent.
Please explain and recompute the statistics necessary to justify your conclusions.
Are the methods appropriate and well described?
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.
Yes
Does the work include the necessary controls?
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.
Yes
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.
Yes
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an additional
statistical review?
If  an  additional  statistical  review  is  recommended,  please  specify  what  aspects  require  further
assessment in your comments to the editors.
I am able to assess the statistics
Quality of written English
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:
Needs some language corrections before being published
Declaration of competing interests
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this
manuscript, either now or in the future?
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the
manuscript?
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that holds
or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?
6. Do you have any non-financial competing interests in relation to this paper?
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' below. If
your reply is yes to any, please give details below.
None
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name will be included on my
report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report including any 
attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors' responses. I agree for my 
report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons CC-BY license 
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments which I do not wish to 
be included in my named report can be included as confidential comments to the editors, which will not
be published.
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal