Title: National Family Health Survey (MCH and Family Planning)
Description: The results in Uttar Pradesh state of the Indian National Health Survey, 1992-93, among 11,438 ever married women aged 13-49 years indicate a modest decline in fertility to 4.8 children per woman (3.6 in urban and 5.2 in rural areas). Muslims had the highest fertility followed by Hindus and then other religious sects. High school educated women had the lowest fertility of 2.6 children compared to illiterate women's fertility of 5.4 children. Contraceptive usage was only 20% among currently married women (19% modern methods, 32% in urban and 17% in rural areas, and 37% with a secondary education and 15% among illiterates). Ever use of contraceptives among currently married women was 26% (23% for modern methods). 12% of women were sterilized, and 1% of men were sterilized, which accounted for 60% of contraceptive prevalence. Demand for contraceptive was strong, and unmet need being met could increase contraceptive prevalence rates by 20-50%.

62% indicated no plans for future use of contraception. An effective IEC (information, education, and communication) program and improved services would be necessary to increase motivation and demand. Infant mortality decline is 33% over the decade, but child mortality was still high at 1/7 children. 88% of births were home deliveries, of which under 50% occurred with the assistance of a trained health professional. Complete immunization was achieved by 20% of children aged 12-23 months. 50% of young children were underweight and stunted. IEC and alternative mass media messages that could be understood by the large illiterate population are considered important interventions. The status of women in Uttar Pradesh is low based on low female literacy, lower school attendance for girls aged 6-14 years, an unfavorable sex ratio, low female employment, low marriage age, higher female mortality rates among children and reproductive age women, and lower female immunization rates.

85.7% of the sample were illiterate, and 83.2% were Hindus. 73.8% were currently married. 31.5% wanted no more children. 25.6% wanted to space their next birth by two years. The mean ideal number of children was 3.4 in contrast to the mean number of children ever born to women aged 40-49 years of 6.0. 10.8% of births were unwanted, and 13.1% were mistimed.
Subjects: Socioeconomic Factors, Primary Health Care, Population Dynamics, Population, Nutritional Physiological Phenomena, Mortality, Marital Status, Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena, Health Services, Health, Family Planning Services, Economics, Developing Countries, Demography, Delivery of Health Care, Contraception, Women's Rights, Research, Marriage, Knowledge, Infant Mortality, Immunization, Health Surveys, Health Planning, Fertility, Family Characteristics, Contraception Behavior, Child Welfare, Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena, Breast Feeding, Human Fertility, Statistics, Family planning, Demographic surveys, Birth control
Places: South Asia, India, Asia, Uttar Pradesh