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The Effect of Reproductive Health Communication Interventions on Age at Marriage and First Birth in Rural Bihar, India
This paper describes the results of a survey of participants in an adolescent education program implemented by the PRACHAR project in rural Bihar. The intervention aimed to increase age at marriage and first birth. Results from the survey show that the median age at marriage for females and for males was higher than in a comparison group, and the likelihood of having a first birth by the time of the survey was lower. Culturally appropriate, community-based communication programs that target unmarried adolescents and the people who influence their decisions can increase women’s age at marriage and age at first birth and contraceptive use among newly-married and low parity couples.
More In This Series
A Reproductive Health Communication Model That Helps Improve Young Women's Reproductive Life and Reduce Population Growth: The Case of PRACHAR from Bihar, India
This paper shows that culturally acceptable and community-focused interventions geared to young people can help increase age of marriage, increase contraceptive use among young couples, and provide populations better access to reproductive health services.
Demographic, Programmatic, and Socioeconomic Correlates of Maternal Mortality in Matlab, Bangladesh
This study uses longitudinal data from the Matlab Demographic Surveillance System to investigate factors commonly believed to increase maternal mortality risk: too young, too short, a birth interval,too many children, and too old.
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