Linkages Between Women’s Education and Family Planning

The present chapter aims to examine the influence of women’s education, wealth, and mass media exposure on their use of family-planning methods within the Empowered Action Group (EAG) states of India. Data for this study are derived from the fifth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), conducted between 2019 and 2021 and encompassing 86,035 married women in the EAG states. The chapter employs descriptive and bivariate analyses, chi-square tests, and unadjusted and adjusted multivariable binary logistic regression analyses to explore the intricate relationships among women’s education, wealth quintile, mass media exposure, and other sociodemographic variables and family-planning methods. The results show that women’s education positively correlates with family planning, challenging conventional expectations. As wealth quintile increases, a notable rise in family-planning utilization occurs. Mass media exposure emerges as a significant influencer, underscoring the need for targeted campaigns. This chapter also delves into the influence of age, place of residence, social groups, and son preference on the use of family-planning methods. Policy recommendations encompass educational interventions, economic empowerment programs, and targeted media campaigns in the EAG states of India.