1.  Title: Evaluation of berhane hewan: a program to delay child marriage in rural ethiopia. Author: Erulkar AS; Muthengi E Source: International Perspectives On Sexual and Reproductive Health. 2009 Mar;35(1):6-14. Abstract: CONTEXT: Early marriage limits girls' opportunities and compromises their health, yet in Sub-Saharan Africa many girls are married before the age of 18, and few programs have sought to increase the age at marriage on the continent. METHODS: Berhane Hewan was a two-year pilot project conducted in 2004-2006 that aimed to reduce the prevalence of child marriage in rural Ethiopia, through a combination of group formation, support for girls to remain in school and community awareness. A quasi-experimental research design with baseline and endline surveys was used to measure changes in social and educational participation, marriage age, reproductive health knowledge and contraceptive use. Chi-square tests, proportional hazards models and logistic regressions were conducted to assess changes associated with the project. RESULTS: The intervention was associated with considerable improvements in girls' school enrollment, age at marriage, reproductive health knowledge and contraceptive use. Particularly among girls aged 10-14, those exposed to the program were more likely than those in the control area to be in school at the endline survey (odds ratio, 3.0) and were less likely to have ever been married (0.1). However, among girls aged 15-19, those in the intervention area had an elevated likelihood of having gotten married by the endline (2.4). Sexually experienced girls exposed to the intervention had elevated odds at endline of having ever used contraceptives (2.9). CONCLUSIONS: The success of the Berhane Hewan program, one of the first rigorously evaluated interventions to delay marriage in Sub-Saharan Africa, suggests that well-designed and effectively implemented programs can delay the earliest marriages until later adolescence. Language: English Keywords: ETHIOPIA | RURAL AREAS | EVALUATION REPORT | PILOT PROJECTS | CHILD MARRIAGE | PREVALENCE | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | CONTRACEPTIVE USAGE | MARRIAGE POSTPONEMENT | REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH | Africa, Eastern | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Developing Countries | Geographic Factors | Population | Evaluation | Studies | Research Methodology | Marriage Patterns | Marriage | Nuptiality | Demographic Factors | Measurement | Educational Status | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Contraception | Family Planning | Health Document Number: 341413 |
2.  Title: Educational inequalities in the midst of persistent poverty: diversity across Africa in educational outcomes. Author: Lloyd CB; Hewett PC Source: New York, New York, Population Council, 2009. 27 p. (Poverty, Gender, and Youth Working Paper No. 14) Abstract: This paper explores inequalities in education across sub-Saharan Africa. Although we mainly focus on primary school completion rates, attention is also given to literacy as a more proximate indicator of human capital acquisition. Using data from the Demographic and Health Surveys and UNICEF's Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, we explore cross-country variations in primary school completion rates, gender and wealth gaps in education, and literacy rates in relation to one another and in relation to cross-country variations in national income per capita. While these data paint a picture of overall educational progress, particularly for girls, this general picture is juxtaposed against an extremely diverse landscape across Africa with respect to primary school completion rates and retained literacy. Although cross-country variation in primary school completion rates can be partially explained by variation in national per capita income, the same cannot be said for literacy rates. Even the poorest countries have significant variation in achieved literacy, suggesting that learning can occur even in resource-poor environments. At the same time, our findings are sobering: in many countries, international educational goals are unlikely to be reached by 2015, and poor learning outcomes are frequently widespread. (Author's abstract) Language: English Keywords: AFRICA | SUMMARY REPORT | INEQUALITIES | POVERTY | EDUCATION | EDUCATIONAL STATUS | PRIMARY SCHOOLS | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | LITERACY | GOALS | INCOME | Developing Countries | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Socioeconomic Status | Schools | Planning | Organization and Administration Document Number: 331434 |
| 3. Peer Reviewed Title: Age at first sex in rural South Africa. Author: McGrath N; Nyirenda M; Hosegood V; Newell ML Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections. 2009 Apr;85(Suppl 1):i49-i55. Abstract: The authors used longitudinal data from four rounds (2003–2007) of a prospective population-based HIV and sexual behavior survey in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa to investigate the distribution and predictors of earlier first sex among young men and women (12-25 years) in a population with a high prevalence and incidence of HIV. Survival analyses were used, and each analysis considered men and women separately. Among the 4,724 women and 4,029 men who were virgins at the beginning of the period, the median age at first sex (AFS) was 18.5 and 19.2 years, respectively. In multivariable models, factors associated with earlier AFS across gender were periurban residence (vs. rural), ever use of alcohol, and knowing at least one person who had HIV, while school attendance had a significant protective effect. Other factors were important for one gender only. Maternal death was significantly associated with earlier AFS for women, in the same way that paternal death was for young men, while mother's membership of the same household significantly delayed AFS of young men. The analysis of early first sex confirmed the same factors to be important as in the overall analyses for men and women. Language: English Keywords: SOUTH AFRICA | RESEARCH REPORT | KAP SURVEYS | LONGITUDINAL STUDIES | RURAL POPULATION | ADOLESCENTS | AGE FACTORS | FIRST INTERCOURSE | HIV INFECTIONS | PREVALENCE | SEX FACTORS | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | RISK FACTORS | Developing Countries | Africa, Southern | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Surveys | Sampling Studies | Studies | Research Methodology | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Youth | Sex Behavior | Behavior | Viral Diseases | Diseases | Measurement | Educational Status | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Health Document Number: 340107 |
| 4. Title: Comparison of socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of orphans and non-orphans among HIV-positive children in Ibadan, Nigeria. Author: Oladokun R; Brown B; Aiyetan P; Ayodele O; Osinusi K Source: International Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2009 Jul;13(4):462-8. Abstract: OBJECTIVES: This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of HIV-positive orphans and to compare their socio-demographic and clinical characteristics with HIV-positive non-orphans. METHODS: A survey was conducted among patients attending the infectious disease clinic of the Department of Paediatrics, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria between July 2005 and November 2006. Information obtained included demographic data, orphan status, HIV/AIDS status of parents, current caregiver, school enrolment, and clinical parameters at presentation. RESULTS: Of the 110 children studied (mean age 43.5 months, SD 41.7 months), 58 (52.7%) were male and 74 (67.9%) presented with severe clinical disease, while 68.1% were malnourished. There were 40 orphans, giving a prevalence of 36.4%. Of this number, 13 (32.5%) were paternal orphans, 20 (50%) were maternal orphans, and seven (17.5%) were double orphans. Thirty-five (87.5%) were cared for within the family and none were in institutional care. Compared to non-orphans, orphans tended to be older at presentation (p=0.02). There were no significant differences in school enrolment, clinical stage of the disease, CD4 counts, or mean weight-for-age, weight-for-height, and height-for-age Z-scores at presentation between the two groups. CONCLUSION: It appears that the extended family system is currently coping with the orphan situation. There is need for provision of social and economic support to caregivers of children orphaned by AIDS before the family system is overwhelmed. Language: English Keywords: NIGERIA | RESEARCH REPORT | COMPARATIVE STUDIES | ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN | PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS | FRIENDS AND RELATIVES | AGE FACTORS | IMMUNOLOGICAL EFFECTS | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | BODY WEIGHT | MALNUTRITION | CHILD CARE | Developing Countries | Africa, Western | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Studies | Research Methodology | Family and Household | Sociocultural Factors | HIV Infections | Viral Diseases | Diseases | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Immunity | Immune System | Physiology | Biology | Educational Status | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Nutrition Disorders | Child Rearing | Behavior Document Number: 342833 |
| 5. Peer Reviewed Title: Ideologies of sexuality, menstruation and risk: girls' experiences of puberty and schooling in northern Tanzania. Author: Sommer M Source: Culture, Health and Sexuality. 2009 May;11(4):383-398. Abstract: This paper examines girls' voiced experiences of menstruation, puberty and schooling in northern Tanzania. The study was conducted in Moshi and Rombo Districts of Kilimanjaro, a predominantly Chagga region with historically strong support for girls' education. The major question explored was how the onset of menses and puberty may be impacting on girls' school participation, given societal implications of pubertal onset and potentially gender discriminatory school environments. The methodology included a comparative case study using in-depth interviews and participatory research with young women living in urban and rural Kilimanjaro. Along with important findings about how menstrual onset creates challenges for girls attending school emerged findings about the significant gaps in girls' knowledge about body changes, sexual health and HIV/AIDS. These findings underline the importance of identifying new girl-centred approaches to guidance on bodily development and HIV prevention. Language: English Keywords: TANZANIA | RESEARCH REPORT | KAP SURVEYS | CASE STUDIES | ADOLESCENTS, FEMALE | PUBERTY | MENARCHE | SEXUALITY | CULTURE | SEX DISCRIMINATION | PERCEPTION | RISK ASSESSMENT | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | KNOWLEDGE | SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE PREVENTION | Developing Countries | Africa, Eastern | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Surveys | Sampling Studies | Studies | Research Methodology | Adolescents | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Reproduction | Menstruation | Personality | Psychological Factors | Behavior | Sociocultural Factors | Social Discrimination | Social Problems | Evaluation | Educational Status | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Sexually Transmitted Diseases | Reproductive Tract Infections | Infections | Diseases Document Number: 341089 |
| 6. Title: 2008 Africa population data sheet. Author: African Population and Health Research Center; Population Reference Bureau [PRB] Source: Washington, D.C., Population Reference Bureau [PRB], 2008. 11 p. Abstract: Even as African women use family planning more and bear fewer children, the continent's youthful population will fuel the continent's growth for many decades to come. Africa's population of 967 million is projected to grow to 1.9 billion by 2050, according to the 2008 Africa Population Data Sheet, produced by the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) and the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC). The report highlights the regional differences within Africa, especially between sub-Saharan and Northern Africa. Contraceptive use has increased fastest in Northern and Southern Africa, and as a result, the number of children the average woman in those regions has during her lifetime has dropped from nearly six children in the early 1980s to around three in 2005. This has slowed population growth in those regions. In most Eastern, Western, and Middle African countries, however, use of family planning remains low, and fertility rates have dropped little, with women averaging between five and six children. Educational attainment, considered an important element in reducing poverty, has increased in many countries, especially at the primary level. But fewer than 75 percent of primary school-age children were enrolled in primary school in Chad, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and several other countries. African countries have made less progress getting children to advance to secondary school. For all of sub-Saharan Africa, the average net enrollment for secondary school is 28 percent. The 2008 Africa Population Data Sheet also includes a series of indicators on population growth, urbanization, family planning use, teenage motherhood, HIV/AIDS, and gross national income per capita for African countries. Language: English Keywords: AFRICA | TABLES AND CHARTS | POPULATION STATISTICS | POPULATION | AGE DISTRIBUTION | FERTILITY DECLINE | CONTRACEPTIVE PREVALENCE | INFANT MORTALITY | HIV INFECTIONS | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | HEALTH STATUS INDEXES | EDUCATIONAL STATUS | ECONOMIC FACTORS | CHILD HEALTH | MATERNAL HEALTH | Developing Countries | Research Methodology | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Fertility Changes | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Contraceptive Usage | Contraception | Family Planning | Mortality | Viral Diseases | Diseases | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Health Document Number: 328222 |
| 7. Title: Paying the price. The economic cost of failing to educate girls. Author: Plan Source: Woking, United Kingdom, Plan, 2008. 11 p. Abstract: Perhaps it is impossible to quantify the difference it makes to individuals' confidence, well-being and life-chances. But there is increasing evidence that we can make a serious estimate of the cost to economies of failing to educate girls to the same standard as boys. This report presents a new analysis of the economic cost of failing to educate girls. Based on World Bank research and economic data and UNESCO education statistics, it estimates the economic cost to 65 low and middle income and transitional countries of failing to educate girls to the same standard as boys as a staggering US$92 billion each year. This is just less than the $103bn annual overseas development aid budget of the developed world. The message is clear: investment in girls' education will deliver real returns, not just for individuals but for the whole of society. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: DEVELOPING COUNTRIES | PROGRESS REPORT | COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS | CROSS-CULTURAL COMPARISONS | CHILD, FEMALE | EDUCATION | MACROECONOMIC FACTORS | ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | COST EFFECTIVENESS | FOREIGN AID | INEQUALITIES | PROGRAM ACCESSIBILITY | WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT | SEX DISCRIMINATION | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | Quantitative Evaluation | Evaluation | Comparative Studies | Studies | Research Methodology | Child | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Economic Factors | Evaluation Indexes | Financial Activities | Socioeconomic Factors | Program Evaluation | Programs | Organization and Administration | Women's Status | Social Discrimination | Social Problems | Sociocultural Factors | Educational Status | Socioeconomic Status Document Number: 326794 |
| 8. Title: Madrasas and NGOs: complements or substitutes? Non-state providers and growth in female education in Bangladesh. Author: Asadullah MN; Chaudhury N Source: [Washington, D.C], World Bank, South Asia Region, Human Development Unit, 2008 Feb. 20 p. (Policy Research Working Paper No. 4511) Abstract: There has been a proliferation of non-state providers of education services in the developing world. In Bangladesh, for instance, Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee runs more than 40,000 non-formal schools that cater to school-drop outs from poor families or operate in villages where there's little provision for formal schools. This paper presents a rationale for supporting these schools on the basis of their spillover effects on female enrollment in secondary (registered) madrasa schools (Islamic faith schools). Most madrasa high schools in Bangladesh are financed by the sate and include a modern curriculum alongside traditional religious subjects. Using an establishment-level dataset on student enrollment in secondary schools and madrasas, the authors demonstrate that the presence of madrasas is positively associated with secondary female enrollment growth. Such feminization of madrasas is therefore unique and merits careful analysis. The authors test the effects of the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee primary schools on growth in female enrollment in madrasas. The analysis deals with potential endoegeneity by using data on number of the number of school branches and female members in the sub-district. The findings show that madrasas that are located in regions with a greater number of Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee schools have higher growth in female enrollment. This relationship is further strengthened by the finding that there is, however, no effect of these schools on female enrollment growth in secular schools. (author's) Language: English Keywords: BANGLADESH | RESEARCH REPORT | STATISTICAL STUDIES | NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS | FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATION | WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT | ADOLESCENTS, FEMALE | ISLAM | EDUCATION | WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | SECONDARY SCHOOLS | RURAL DEVELOPMENT | Developing Countries | Asia, Southern | Asia | Studies | Research Methodology | Organizations | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Economic Development | Economic Factors | Adolescents | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Religion | Women's Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Educational Status | Socioeconomic Status | Schools Document Number: 325677 |
| 9. Peer Reviewed Title: Associations between premarital sex and leaving school in four Sub-Saharan African countries. Author: Biddlecom A; Gregory R; Lloyd CB; Mensch BS Source: Studies in Family Planning. 2008 Dec;39(4):337-350. Abstract: With the spread of formal schooling in sub-Saharan Africa and delays in the age at marriage, a growing proportion of adolescents remain enrolled in school when they "come of age." As a consequence, more and more adolescents have to negotiate sexual maturation and sexual initiation in a vastly different context from that of prior generations. Using data from the 2004 National Survey of Adolescents conducted in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi, and Uganda, we investigate the empirical association between premarital sex and leaving school among those who were enrolled in school at the outset of adolescence (age 12). Discrete-time logistic regression models show that, in general, girls are more likely than boys to leave school before completing secondary school, before completing primary school, and, among those completing primary school, before progressing to secondary school. Girls who complete primary school, however, do so at the same age as or a younger age than their male peers. Girls appear more vulnerable to leaving school once they engage in premarital sex. These findings can assist researchers, policymakers, program managers, and educators in understanding and addressing the challenges to educational attainment posed by the increasing proportion of school-aged adolescents engaging in premarital sex. Language: English Keywords: AFRICA, SUB SAHARAN | RESEARCH REPORT | DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEYS | KAP SURVEYS | STATISTICAL REGRESSION | DROPOUTS | ADOLESCENTS | PREMARITAL SEX BEHAVIOR | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | SEX FACTORS | AGE FACTORS | EDUCATIONAL STATUS | Africa | Developing Countries | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Surveys | Sampling Studies | Studies | Research Methodology | Data Analysis | Programs | Organization and Administration | Youth | Population Characteristics | Sex Behavior | Behavior | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors Document Number: 328195 |
| 10. Title: Oh! So 'we' have been under-reporting Nairobi's primary school enrolment rates? Author: Epari C; Ezeh A; Mugisha F; Ogollah R Source: Nairobi, Kenya, African Population and Health Research Center [APHRC], 2008. 16 p. (APHRC Working Paper No. 35) Abstract: Progress towards universal primary education by 2015 is monitored by primary school enrolment rates, survival rates to grade 5 and youth literacy rates. For the period 2000-2004, official statistics show Nairobi's primary school gross and net enrolment rates as being much lower than any other province in Kenya. Nairobi's informal settlements (slums) are estimated to be home to over 50% of the city's population and are largely served by low cost private, community and non-formal schools managed by individual entrepreneurs, communities and non-governmental organizations. This paper examines Nairobi's slum and non-slum primary school enrolment rates and their under-reporting in government statistics. The study was conducted in two slum settlements (Korogocho and Viwandani) as well as in two non-slum sites (Jericho and Harambee) in Nairobi. A total of 13,882 children aged 5-19 years were identified in 2005 regardless of whether or not they were in school in the four geographically-defined study sites.The study used retrospective schooling history data for six years (2000-2005) collected within the longitudinal framework of the Nairobi Urban Health and Demographic Surveillance System. Data were collected on a range of issues in modular form using five questionnaires, each addressing a specific theme. For children aged 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 years in 2005, only data for one (2005), two (2005 and 2004), three (2005-2003), four (2005-2002) and five (2005-2001) years were collected starting in 2005, respectively. For those aged 10 to 19 years, data for six years (2000-2005) were collected. We use these data to calculate the gross and net enrolment rates as well as the Gender Parity Index (GPI) and rate of underreporting of these enrolment rates in government statistics for the four sites in 2005. The results show high gross enrolment ratios of 100.7% and 106.8% for the slum and non-slum sites, respectively, for 2005. The net enrolment ratio is equally high at 83.3% and 94.5% for the slum and non-slum areas for thesame year. These are however under-reported in government statistics by up to 23.3% for all the four sites. At an average of 1.08 for the period 2000-2005, the GPI values in the slums are in favor of girls while the opposite is true for the non-slum sites at an average GPI value of 0.93 in favor of boys. This evidence shows that Nairobi's enrolment rates are quite high, contrary to official statistics which show these as much lower compared to the rest of the country. We largely attribute these low enrolment rates to under-reporting. (author's) Language: English Keywords: KENYA | RESEARCH REPORT | RETROSPECTIVE STUDIES | PRIMARY SCHOOLS | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | DATA QUALITY | UNDERCOUNT | STATISTICS | RELIABILITY | Developing Countries | Africa, Eastern | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Studies | Research Methodology | Schools | Education | Educational Status | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Data Analysis | Error Sources | Measurement Document Number: 326401 |
| 11. Peer Reviewed Title: Getting girls into school: Evidence from a scholarship program in Cambodia. Author: Filmer D; Schady N Source: Economic Development and Cultural Change. 2008 Apr;56:581-617. Abstract: In this study we evaluate the impact of a program designed to increase the enrollment of girls in secondary school in Cambodia. The program we evaluate is the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR) scholarship program. This program, which began in the 2004 school year, awarded scholarships to poor girls who were completing sixth grade, the last grade of primary school. We show that the scholarship program increased the enrollment and attendance of recipients at program schools by about 30 percentage points. Larger impacts are found among girls with the lowest socioeconomic status at baseline. The results are robust to a variety of controls for observable differences between scholarship recipients and nonrecipients, to unobserved heterogeneity across girls, and to selective transfers between program schools and other schools. We conclude that there is substantial potential for demand-side interventions in lower-income countries like Cambodia. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: CAMBODIA | SUMMARY REPORT | DEMOGRAPHIC AND HEALTH SURVEYS | CHILD, FEMALE | ADOLESCENTS, FEMALE | EDUCATION | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | PROGRAM DESIGN | PROMOTION | EVALUATION | IMPACT | Developing Countries | Asia, Southeastern | Asia | Demographic Surveys | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Child | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Adolescents | Educational Status | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Programs | Organization and Administration | Marketing | Communication Document Number: 325941 |
| 12. Peer Reviewed Title: Adolescent pregnancy in Argentina: Evidence-based recommendations for public policies. Author: Gogna M; Binstock G; Fernandez S; Ibarlucia I; Zamberlin N Source: Reproductive Health Matters. 2008 May;16(31):192-201. Abstract: In Argentina adolescent pregnancy is still regarded as a public health problem or a "social epidemic". However, it is necessary to ask from which perspective and for whom it is a problem, and what type of problem. This article presents the findings of a large quantitative and qualitative study conducted in five Northern provinces and two metropolitan areas of Argentina in 2003-2004. Based on the results of a survey of adolescent mothers (n=1,645) and ten focus group discussions with adolescent girls and boys, it addresses the connections between school dropout, pregnancy and poverty, and makes recommendations on how to tailor health care and sexuality education to address local realities. The findings indicate a need to develop educational activities to promote safer sex and address gender power relations in programmes working with deprived communities. Sexuality education with a gender and rights perspective, and increasing accessibility to contraceptive methods for adolescent girls and boys is also crucial. Antenatal and post-partum care, as well as post-abortion care, should be improved for young women and viewed as opportunities for contraceptive counselling and provision. Male participation in pregnancy prevention and care also needs to be promoted. (author's) Language: English Keywords: ARGENTINA | TECHNICAL REPORT | QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH | QUALITATIVE RESEARCH | SURVEYS | FOCUS GROUPS | ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | POVERTY | CONTRACEPTIVE USAGE | ANTENATAL CARE | MATERNAL HEALTH SERVICES | South America, Southern | South America | Latin America | Americas | Developing Countries | Research Methodology | Sampling Studies | Studies | Data Collection | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Educational Status | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Contraception | Family Planning | Maternal-Child Health Services | Primary Health Care | Health Services | Delivery of Health Care | Health Document Number: 326989 |
| 13. Title: Who are the pregnant adolescents in the poorest state capital of Brazil? Author: Gomes KR; Speizer IS; Gomes FM; Oliveira DD; Moura LN Source: Public Health Nursing. 2008 Jul-Aug;25(4):319-26. Abstract: OBJECTIVE: This study determines which adolescent girls are becoming pregnant. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SAMPLE: Pregnant or puerpera adolescents in Teresina, Brazil (278), aged 15-19 years. MEASUREMENTS: Comparisons were made between the older and younger age groups of the Teresina sample and between the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the Teresina sample and ever-pregnant adolescents from the 1996 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) sample. Descriptive analyses and Pearson's chi-square tests were performed. RESULTS: Compared with the 1996 DHS sample, there has been a social improvement manifested by a higher proportion attending school and a lower proportion of adolescent workers in the 2006 Teresina sample. In the 2006 sample, 60.2% of those attending school were below their grade for age level. The principal reason for school abandonment 10 years ago was marriage (24.4%) and that among the 2006 Teresina sample was pregnancy (44.9%). Girls who were 15-17 years old in the 2006 sample experienced menarche and sexual debut earlier than those who were 18-19 years old in the same sample. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescent pregnancies are likely to have an unfavorable long-term impact on adolescent mothers' lifestyle, even with some improvement since 1996. Effective programs for adolescent pregnancy prevention are needed to reduce the possibility of continuance of these trends for another 10 or more years in the future. Language: English Keywords: BRAZIL | CROSS SECTIONAL ANALYSIS | ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY | POVERTY | EDUCATIONAL STATUS | SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS | DEMOGRAPHIC AND HEALTH SURVEYS | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | SEX BEHAVIOR | AGE FACTORS | ADOLESCENTS, FEMALE | PREGNANCY | Developing Countries | South America, Eastern | South America | Latin America | Americas | Research Methodology | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Economic Factors | Socioeconomic Status | Demographic Surveys | Behavior | Population Characteristics | Adolescents | Youth | Reproduction Document Number: 328264 |
| 14. Peer Reviewed Title: Pregnancy-related school dropout and prior school performance in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Author: Grant MJ; Hallman KK Source: Studies in Family Planning. 2008 Dec;39(4):369-382. Abstract: This study uses data from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, to examine the factors associated with schoolgirl pregnancy and subsequent educational pathways. We find that prior schooling discontinuities-defined as instances of non-pregnancy-related grade repetition or temporary withdrawals from school-are strongly associated with a young woman's likelihood of later becoming pregnant while enrolled in school, dropping out of school if she becomes pregnant, and not returning to school following a pregnancy-related dropout. Young women who are the primary caregivers to their children are also significantly more likely to leave school than are those who have help with their childcare responsibilities. Given the increasing importance of female school participation in sub-Saharan Africa, programs must be designed to reach girls and their families early to increase incentives for ensuring their timely progression through school and to increase their access to reproductive health information and services. Language: English Keywords: SOUTH AFRICA | RESEARCH REPORT | EVENT HISTORY ANALYSIS | ADOLESCENTS | DROPOUTS | WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT | ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY | EDUCATIONAL STATUS | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | CHILD CARE | INCENTIVES | PROGRAM ACCESSIBILITY | Africa, Southern | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Developing Countries | Demographic Analysis | Research Methodology | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Programs | Organization and Administration | Economic Development | Economic Factors | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Child Rearing | Behavior | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Program Evaluation Document Number: 328197 |
| 15. Peer Reviewed Title: The association between school attendance, HIV infection and sexual behaviour among young people in rural South Africa. Author: Hargreaves JR; Morison LA; Kim JC; Bonell CP; Porter JD Source: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. 2008 Feb;62(2):113-119. Abstract: The objectives were to investigate whether the prevalence of HIV infection among young people, and sexual behaviours associated with increased HIV risk, are differentially distributed between students and those not attending school or college. The design used was a random population sample of unmarried young people (916 males, 1003 females) aged 14-25 years from rural South Africa in 2001. Data on school attendance and HIV risk characteristics came from structured face-to-face interviews. HIV serostatus was assessed by oral fluid ELISA. Logistic regression models specified HIV serostatus and high-risk behaviours as outcome variables. The primary exposure was school attendance. Models were adjusted for potential confounders. HIV knowledge, communication about sex and HIV testing were similarly distributed among students and non-students. The lifetime number of partners was lower for students of both sexes (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for more than three partners for men 0.67; 95% CI 0.44 to 1.00; aORfor more than two partners for women 0.69; 95% CI 0.46 to 1.04). Among young women, fewer students reported having partners more than three years older than themselves (aOR 0.58; 95% CI 0.37 to 0.92), having sex more than five times with a partner (aOR 0.57; 95% CI 0.37 to 0.87) and unprotected intercourse during the past year (aOR 0.60; 95% CI 0.40 to 0.91). Male students were less likely to be HIV positive than nonstudents (aOR 0.21; 95% CI 0.06 to 0.71). Attending school was associated with lower-risk sexual behaviours and, among young men, lower HIV prevalence. Secondary school attendance may influence the structure of sexual networks and reduce HIV risk. Maximising school attendance may reduce HIV transmission among young people. (author's) Language: English Keywords: SOUTH AFRICA | RESEARCH REPORT | SAMPLING STUDIES | INTERVIEWS | YOUTH | STUDENTS | OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTHS | HIV INFECTIONS | PREVALENCE | SEX BEHAVIOR | RISK BEHAVIOR | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | EDUCATION | EDUCATIONAL STATUS | Africa, Southern | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Developing Countries | Studies | Research Methodology | Data Collection | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Viral Diseases | Diseases | Measurement | Behavior Document Number: 308602 |
| 16. Peer Reviewed Title: Young women's perceived ability to refuse sex in urban Cameroon. Author: Hattori MK; DeRose L Source: Studies in Family Planning. 2008 Dec;39(4):309-320. Abstract: In many sub-Saharan African countries, young women face decreasing educational opportunities, age asymmetries between sexual partners, and high prevalence of HIV infection. This study draws upon data from the 2002 Cameroon Adolescent Reproductive Health Survey to analyze the determinants of young women's perceived ability to refuse sex in urban Cameroon. Our findings are consistent with predictions of social exchange theory: young women's status characteristics predict their vulnerability differently under different circumstances, and, overall, young women report having a lower ability to refuse sex in their relationships with men who offer to pay their school fees than in their relationships with men in positions of power over them. The costs and benefits of sexual exchanges made in order to continue one's education increase simultaneously in a context of declining enrollments and spreading HIV infection. When educational aspirations exceed opportunities, policy supporting access to education could reduce young women's need to employ their sexual resources in order to invest in their future. Language: English Keywords: CAMEROON | RESEARCH REPORT | KAP SURVEYS | HEALTH SURVEYS | COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS | WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT | URBAN POPULATION | ADOLESCENTS | PERCEPTION | SEXUAL INTERCOURSE | DECISION MAKING | WOMEN'S STATUS | MICROECONOMIC FACTORS | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | HIV TRANSMISSION | Africa, Western | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Developing Countries | Surveys | Sampling Studies | Studies | Research Methodology | Health | Quantitative Evaluation | Evaluation | Economic Development | Economic Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Youth | Age Factors | Psychological Factors | Behavior | Reproduction | Socioeconomic Factors | Educational Status | Socioeconomic Status | HIV Infections | Viral Diseases | Diseases Document Number: 328193 |
| 17. Title: Gender inequality in primary education in the context of HIV and AIDS: a challenge for Uganda. Author: Kakuru DM Source: In: Gender equality, HIV, and AIDS. A challenge for the education sector edited by Sheila Aikman, Elaine Unterhalter, and Tania Boler. Oxford, United Kingdom, Oxfam GB, 2008. :45-59. Abstract: In the past decade, access to primary education for pupils in Uganda has increased, leading to the achievement of gender parity in enrolment (i.e. an equal number of girls and boys attending school). However, gender inequalities in school and classroom participation, attendance, and learning outcomes persist (Kakuru 2003; Kasente 2003; Okuni 2003; Kakuru 2006; Kakuru 2007).Over the years, various measures have been implemented to address the inequalities. A number of factors have been considered responsible for the persistence of educational inequalities, including the influence of patriarchal beliefs, values, and practices (Kwesiga 2003). HIV and AIDS have been blamed for reinforcing existing forms of social inequalities, including gender inequalities (Barnett 2004; Mohlahlane 2006; Kakuru 2007). Gender inequality has been described as a form of denial of equal treatment and opportunity (Unterhalter 2003; Aikman and Unterhalter 2005; Subrahmanian 2005). It is reinforced by poverty which perpetuates unequal access to national, community, and household resources. It is multi-faceted and has numerous causes, and numerous consequences for the economy and social relations. One feature of gender inequality is unequal gender power relations due to the patriarchal nature of cultural beliefs, values, and practices. Gender inequality is a cause as well as a consequence of HIV and AIDS. In order to explore these issues I draw on small-scale research in rural Uganda that examines the persistence of gender inequalities in the education sector in the context of efforts to address the epidemic. I will argue that although Uganda has done a great deal of work in terms of expanding access to primary education, this has not resulted in gender-equality gains at the grassroots level. One of the reasons for this is a fundamental disjuncture between policy and practice in terms of the education sector's response to HIV. In particular, the Presidential Initiative on AIDS Strategy for Communicating to Young People (PIASCY),with its focus on abstinence and the moral judgements associated with it, has created problems that have acted as barriers to improvements in gender equality. The study reveals inequalities in children's opportunities to advance to upper primary, and consequently to secondary education. Prior to the implementation of universal primary education (UPE) in Uganda, the tuition-fees requirement was assumed to be the major cause of disparities in school dropout, as those who could afford it continued with schooling, and those who couldn't dropped out. The government of Uganda has achieved remarkable success through the education-promotion campaign launched in 1996 (Cameron 2005). In fact, Uganda has almost achieved gender parity in primary-school enrolment, with national rates at 49.6 per cent for girls and 50.4 per cent for boys (Ministry of Education and Sports 2005). However, one of the greatest challenges for the Ministry of Education and Sports since the implementation of UPE is still school dropout. For example, there was an increase in dropout rates from 12 per cent to 20 per cent between 2001 and 2004, while completion rates declined (Cameron 2005). This is attributable to a multiplicity of factors. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: UGANDA | LITERATURE REVIEW | PREVALENCE | WOMEN | GENDER ISSUES | INEQUALITIES | PRIMARY SCHOOLS | EDUCATION | EDUCATIONAL STATUS | HIV INFECTIONS | POLICY | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | POVERTY | Africa, Eastern | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Developing Countries | Measurement | Research Methodology | Demographic Factors | Population | Sociocultural Factors | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Schools | Socioeconomic Status | Viral Diseases | Diseases | Political Factors Document Number: 330172 |
| 18. Title: Social exclusion and the gender gap in education. Author: Lewis M; Lockheed M Source: Washington, D.C, World Bank, Human Development Network, Chief Economist's Office, 2008 Mar. 38 p. (Policy Research Working Paper No. 4562) Abstract: Despite a sharp increase in the share of girls who enroll in, attend, and complete various levels of schooling, an educational gender gap remains in some countries. This paper argues that one explanation for this gender gap is the degree of social exclusion within these countries, as indicated by ethno-linguistic heterogeneity, which triggers both economic and psycho-social mechanisms to limit girls' schooling. Ethno-linguistic heterogeneity initially was applied to explaining lagging economic growth, but has emerged in the literature more recently to explain both civil conflict and public goods. This paper is a first application of the concept to explain gender gaps in education. The paper discusses the importance of female education for economic and social development, reviews the evidence regarding gender and ethnic differences in schooling, reviews the theoretical perspectives of various social science disciplines that seek to explain such differences, and tests the relevance of ethnic and linguistic heterogeneity in explaining cross-country differences in school attainment and learning. The study indicates that within-country ethnic and linguistic heterogeneity partly explains both national female primary school completion rates and gender differences in these rates, but only explains average national learning outcomes when national income measures are excluded. (author's) Language: English Keywords: DEVELOPING COUNTRIES | RESEARCH REPORT | STATISTICAL STUDIES | ETHNIC GROUPS | WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT | CHILD, FEMALE | GENDER ISSUES | SEX DISCRIMINATION | EDUCATION | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | EDUCATIONAL STATUS | PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS | ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT | Studies | Research Methodology | Cultural Background | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Economic Factors | Child | Youth | Age Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Social Discrimination | Social Problems | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Behavior Document Number: 325679 |
| 19. Peer Reviewed Title: The quantity-quality trade-off of children in a developing country: Identification using Chinese twins. Author: Li H; Zhang J; Zhu Y Source: Demography. 2008 Feb;45(1):223-243. Abstract: Testing the trade-off between child quantity and quality within a family is complicated by the endogeneity of family size. Using data from the Chinese Population Census, we examine the effect of family size on child educational attainment in China. We find a negative correlation between family size and child outcome, even after we control for the birth order effect. We then instrument family size by the exogenous variation that is induced by a twin birth and find a negative effect of family size on children's education. We also find that the effect of family size is more evident in rural China, where the public education system is poor. Given that our estimates of the effect of having twins on nontwins at least provide the lower bound of the true effect of family size, these findings suggest a quantity-quality trade-off for children in developing countries. (author's) Language: English Keywords: CHINA | RESEARCH REPORT | CORRELATION STUDIES | FAMILY SIZE | CHILDREN | MULTIPLE BIRTH | EDUCATIONAL STATUS | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | CHILD WORTH | Asia, Eastern | Asia | Developing Countries | Statistical Studies | Studies | Research Methodology | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Sociocultural Factors | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Reproduction | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Microeconomic Factors Document Number: 326396 |
| 20. Peer Reviewed Title: Marriage and childbirth as factors in dropping out from school: An analysis of DHS data from sub-Saharan Africa. Author: Lloyd CB; Mensch BS Source: Population Studies. 2008 Mar;62(1):1-13. Abstract: Leaving school prematurely is often claimed to be among the most negative consequences of early marriage and pregnancy for girls in less developed countries. However, an analysis of the relative frequency with which these events actually occur or are named as reasons for leaving school reveals that, at least in the case of francophone Africa, they explain no more than 20 per cent of dropouts. To the extent that demographic events trump school or family factors as determinants of school-leaving, our data indicate that it is union formation - defined by the DHS as first marriage or cohabitation - rather than childbirth that is more likely to have this effect. 'Schoolgirl pregnancy' typically accounts for only between 5 and 10 per cent of girls' departures from school. Furthermore, the risks of leaving school because of pregnancy or marriage have declined over time with the decline in rates of early marriage and childbearing. (author's) Language: English Keywords: AFRICA, SUB SAHARAN | RESEARCH REPORT | CHILD, FEMALE | ADOLESCENTS, FEMALE | SCHOOL AGE POPULATION | STUDENTS | DROPOUTS | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | CHILD MARRIAGE | ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY | CHILDBIRTH | Developing Countries | Africa | Child | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Adolescents | Education | Programs | Organization and Administration | Educational Status | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Marriage Patterns | Marriage | Nuptiality | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Pregnancy Outcomes | Pregnancy | Reproduction Document Number: 324152 |
| 21. Peer Reviewed Title: Sexual behavior, pregnancy, and schooling among young people in urban South Africa. Author: Marteleto L; Lam D; Ranchhod V Source: Studies in Family Planning. 2008 Dec;39(4):351-368. Abstract: This study examines transitions in schooling, sexual activity, and pregnancy among adolescents and young adults in urban South Africa. Data are analyzed from the Cape Area Panel Study (CAPS), a recently collected longitudinal survey of young adults and their families in metropolitan Cape Town. We find that teen pregnancy is not entirely inconsistent with continued schooling, especially for African (black) women. More than 50 percent of African women who were pregnant at age 16 or 17 were enrolled in school the following year. We estimate probit regressions to identify the impact of individual and household characteristics on sexual debut, pregnancy, and school dropout between 2002 and 2005. We find that male and female students who performed well on a literacy and numeracy exam administered in 2002 were less likely than those who performed more poorly to become sexually active and less likely to drop out of school by 2005. Surprisingly, 14-16-year-olds who had completed more grades in school in 2002, conditional on their age, were more likely than those who had completed fewer grades to have become sexually active by 2005, a potential indicator of peer effects resulting from the wide dispersion in age per grade in South African schools. Overall, this study shows the importance of accounting for a measure that reflects the knowledge and skills of young people in an examination of their transitions to adulthood. Language: English Keywords: SOUTH AFRICA | RESEARCH REPORT | KAP SURVEYS | LONGITUDINAL STUDIES | STATISTICAL REGRESSION | URBAN POPULATION | YOUTH | DROPOUTS | SEX BEHAVIOR | RISK BEHAVIOR | ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | SEX FACTORS | FIRST INTERCOURSE | EDUCATIONAL STATUS | Africa, Southern | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Developing Countries | Surveys | Sampling Studies | Studies | Research Methodology | Data Analysis | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Age Factors | Programs | Organization and Administration | Behavior | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors Document Number: 328196 |
| 22. Peer Reviewed Title: A profile of the world's young developing international migrants. Author: McKenzie DJ Source: Population and Development Review. 2008 Mar;34(1):115-135. Abstract: Globalization has led to much faster movements of goods, technology, money, and ideas across borders, but large barriers remain to the movement of people. Despite these barriers, many people move, and by 2005 an estimated 191 million of the world's population lived outside their country of birth (United Nations 2006). Large income gaps coupled with diverging demographic circumstances between developed and developing countries may amplify the pressures for migration. Holzmann (2005) estimates that without further international migration the labor force in Europe, Russia, and high-income East Asia and the Pacific is projected to fall by 55 million persons between 2005 and 2025, while it is projected to rise by 24 million in China, 85 million in Latin America, 83 million in the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey, 100 million in low- and middle-income East Asia and the Pacific, 214 million in sub-Saharan Africa, and 303 million in South and Central Asia. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: DEVELOPING COUNTRIES | RESEARCH REPORT | MIGRANTS | YOUTH | INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION | LIVING ARRANGEMENTS | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | MARITAL STATUS | EMPLOYMENT STATUS | OCCUPATIONAL STATUS | RETURN MIGRATION | AGE DISTRIBUTION | Migration | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Residence Characteristics | Population Distribution | Geographic Factors | Educational Status | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Nuptiality Document Number: 325566 |
| 23. Title: Orphans and vulnerable children in high HIV-prevalence countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Author: Mishra V; Bignami-Van Assche S Source: Calverton, Maryland, Macro International Inc., 2008 Sep. 113 p. (USAID Contract No. GPO-C-00-03-00002-00DHS Analytical Studies No. 15) Abstract: This study estimates the size and distribution of the population of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in eight sub-Saharan African countries with relatively high rates of HIV. It highlights the heavy burden and the multi-dimensional nature of caring for OVC, particularly with regard to schooling and health care. The study finds that substantial proportions of children in these countries are OVC, and that the prevalence of OVC varies widely across countries and across different population sub-groups with countries and sub-regions with a higher prevalence of HIV having a higher prevalence of OVC as well. Language: English Keywords: AFRICA, SUB SAHARAN | SUMMARY REPORT | PREVALENCE | DEMOGRAPHIC AND HEALTH SURVEYS | DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS | FAMILY AND HOUSEHOLD | ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN | CHILD HEALTH | ADOLESCENT HEALTH | PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS | HIV TESTING | SOCIAL WELFARE | CHILD SURVIVAL | BED NETS | USER COMPLIANCE | STIGMA | MALNUTRITION | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | CONDOM USE | Africa | Developing Countries | Measurement | Research Methodology | Demographic Surveys | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Sociocultural Factors | Health | Persons Living With HIV/AIDS | HIV Infections | Viral Diseases | Diseases | Laboratory Examinations and Diagnoses | Examinations and Diagnoses | Medical Procedures | Medicine | Health Services | Delivery of Health Care | Economic Factors | Survivorship | Length of Life | Mortality | Parasite Control | Public Health | Behavior | Social Problems | Nutrition Disorders | Educational Status | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Risk Reduction Behavior Document Number: 326055 |
| 24. Title: Does female schooling reduce fertility? Evidence from Nigeria. Author: Osili UO; Long BT Source: Journal of Development Economics. 2008 Aug;87(1):57-75. Abstract: The literature generally points to a negative relationship between female education and fertility. Citing this pattern, policymakers have advocated educating girls and young women as a means to reduce population growth and foster sustained economic and social welfare in developing countries. This paper tests whether the relationship between fertility and education is indeed causal by investigating the introduction of universal primary education in Nigeria. Exploiting differences in program exposure by region and age, the paper presents reduced form and instrumental variables estimates of the impact of female education on fertility. The analysis suggests that increasing female education by one year reduces early fertility by 0.26 births. (author's) Language: English Keywords: NIGERIA | RESEARCH REPORT | DEMOGRAPHIC AND HEALTH SURVEYS | THEORETICAL MODELS | WOMEN | FERTILITY DETERMINANTS | REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | EDUCATIONAL STATUS | ESTIMATION TECHNIQUES | Developing Countries | Africa, Western | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Demographic Surveys | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Research Methodology | Fertility | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors Document Number: 327039 |
| 25. Title: Use of modern medical care for pregnancy and childbirth care: Does female schooling matter? Author: Somanathan A Source: [Washington, D.C.], World Bank, East Asia and Pacific Region, Human Development Sector Department, Health, Nutrition and Population, 2008 May. 66 p. (Policy Research Working Paper No. 4625) Abstract: Controversy exists over whether the estimated effects of schooling on health care use reflect the influence of unobserved factors. Existing estimates may overstate the schooling effect because of the failure to control for unobserved variables or may be downwardly biased due to measurement error. This paper contributes to the resolution of this debate by adopting an instrumental variable approach to estimate the impact of female schooling on maternal health care use. A school construction program in Indonesia in the 1970s is used to construct an instrumental variable for education. The choice between use and non-use of maternal health services is estimated as a function of schooling and other variables. Data from the Indonesia Family Life Survey are used for this paper. Standard regression models estimated in the paper indicate that each additional year of schooling does indeed have a significant, positive effect on maternal health care use. Instrumental variable estimates of the schooling effect are larger. The results suggest that schooling has a positive impact on maternal health care use even after eliminating the effect of unobserved variables and measurement error. This paper moves beyond previous work on the impact of education on health care use by adopting an IV approach to address the problem of endogeneity and measurement error. IV methods have been used widely in the labour economics literature to examine the impact of schooling on wages and other labour market outcomes but rarely to estimate the effect of schooling on health outcomes. (author's) Language: English Keywords: INDONESIA | RESEARCH REPORT | THEORETICAL MODELS | ESTIMATION TECHNIQUES | WOMEN | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | EDUCATIONAL STATUS | MATERNAL HEALTH SERVICES | UTILIZATION OF HEALTH CARE | Developing Countries | Asia, Southeastern | Asia | Research Methodology | Demographic Factors | Population | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Maternal-Child Health Services | Primary Health Care | Health Services | Delivery of Health Care | Health Document Number: 327036 |
| 26. Title: Consequences of early marriage on female schooling in rural Bangladesh. Source: Health and Science Bulletin. 2007 Dec;5(4):1-21. Abstract: This analysis aimed assess the relationship between early marriage and duration of schooling for girls in rural Bangladesh. This study used data from ICDDR,B's Abhoynagar Surveillance System, which has been in operation in five unions in this sub-district in southwestern Bangladesh since 1982. The primary objective of this surveillance system is to monitor population change over time. Structured interviews, which collect data on fertility, mortality, migration, contraception, vaccinations, marriage, occupation and education of household members, are administered every three months from every fourth household covering 34,000 individuals and 7,500 households. The sample for this study consisted of all females in Abhoynagar surveillance area who were married in 2005 and 2006. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: BANGLADESH | RESEARCH REPORT | DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEYS | RURAL POPULATION | CHILD, FEMALE | CHILD MARRIAGE | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | EDUCATIONAL STATUS | Developing Countries | Asia, Southern | Asia | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Population Characteristics | Child | Youth | Age Factors | Marriage Patterns | Marriage | Nuptiality | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors Document Number: 323924 |
| 27. Title: Achieving the MDGs: the contribution of family planning, Burkina Faso. Author: Constella Futures. Health Policy Initiative Source: Washington, D.C., Constella Futures, Health Policy Initiative, [2007]. [2] p. (USAID Contract No. HRN-C-00-00-00006-00USAID Contract No. GPO-I-01-05-00040-00) Abstract: The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) - a set of eight important, time-bound goals ranging from reducing poverty by half to providing universal primary education - represent a blueprint for global development agreed to by member states of the United Nations and international development institutions. However, achieving them will be a major challenge for Burkina Faso and many other developing countries that are not "on track" to meet the goals by the target date of 2015. As stated by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, it will take time and commitment to mobilize the necessary resources, train the required personnel, and established the needed infrastructure to meet the MGDs. In Burkina Faso and other African countries, one major factor contributing to the challenge is the continued rapid growth of the population. The number of people in need of health, education, economic, and other services is large and increasing, which, in turn, means that the amount of resources, personnel, and infrastructure required to meet the MDGs is also increasing. In light of this fact, development efforts in support of the MDGs should not overlook the importance and benefits of slowing population growth. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: BURKINA FASO | SUMMARY REPORT | COST EFFECTIVENESS | GOALS | SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT | CHILD HEALTH | WOMEN'S HEALTH | PRIMARY HEALTH CARE | HIV PREVENTION | AIDS PREVENTION | MALARIA | EDUCATION | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | CHILD MORTALITY | NEEDS | SANITATION | FAMILY PLANNING | PROGRAM ACCESSIBILITY | Developing Countries | Africa, Western | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Evaluation Indexes | Quantitative Evaluation | Evaluation | Planning | Organization and Administration | Economic Factors | Health | Health Services | Delivery of Health Care | HIV Infections | Viral Diseases | Diseases | AIDS | Parasitic Diseases | Educational Status | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Mortality | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Public Health | Program Evaluation | Programs Document Number: 323010 |
| 28. Title: Achieving the MDGs: the contribution of family planning, Cameroon. Author: Constella Futures. Health Policy Initiative Source: Washington, D.C., Constella Futures, Health Policy Initiative, [2007]. [2] p. (USAID Contract No. HRN-C-00-00-00006-00USAID Contract No. GPO-I-01-05-00040-00) Abstract: In Cameroon and other African countries, one major factor contributing to the challenges is the continued rapid growth of the population. The number of people in need of health, education, economic, and other services is large and increasing, which, in turn, means that the amount of resources, personnel, and infrastructure required to meet the MDGs is also increasing. In light of this fact, development efforts in support of the MDGs should not overlook the importance and benefits of slowing population growth. This brief, based on a multi-country study titled "Achieving the Millenium Development Goals: The Contribution of Family Planning," looks at how one strategy-meeting the need for family planning-can reduce population growth and make achieving the MDGs more affordable in Cameroon, in addition to directly contributing to the goals of reducing child mortality and improving maternal health. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: CAMEROON | SUMMARY REPORT | COST EFFECTIVENESS | GOALS | SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT | CHILD HEALTH | WOMEN'S HEALTH | MATERNAL HEALTH | PRIMARY HEALTH CARE | HIV PREVENTION | AIDS PREVENTION | MALARIA | EDUCATION | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | CHILD MORTALITY | NEEDS | SANITATION | FAMILY PLANNING | PROGRAM ACCESSIBILITY | Developing Countries | Africa, Western | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Evaluation Indexes | Quantitative Evaluation | Evaluation | Planning | Organization and Administration | Economic Factors | Health | Health Services | Delivery of Health Care | HIV Infections | Viral Diseases | Diseases | AIDS | Parasitic Diseases | Educational Status | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Mortality | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Public Health | Program Evaluation | Programs Document Number: 323011 |
| 29. Title: Achieving the MDGs: the contribution of family planning, Chad. Author: Constella Futures. Health Policy Initiative Source: Washington, D.C., Constella Futures, Health Policy Initiative, [2007]. [2] p. (USAID Contract No. HRN-C-00-00-00006-00USAID Contract No. GPO-I-01-05-00040-00) Abstract: Increasing access to and use of family planning is not one of the MDGs; however, as analysis has shown, it can make valuable contributions to achieving many of the goals. Increased contraceptive use can significantly reduce the costs of achieving selected MDGs and directly contribute to reductions in maternal and child mortality. The cost savings in meeting the five MDGs by satisfying unmet need outweigh the additional costs of family planning by a factor of 5 to 1. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: CHAD | SUMMARY REPORT | COST EFFECTIVENESS | GOALS | SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT | CHILD HEALTH | WOMEN'S HEALTH | MATERNAL HEALTH | PRIMARY HEALTH CARE | HIV PREVENTION | AIDS PREVENTION | MALARIA | EDUCATION | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | CHILD MORTALITY | NEEDS | SANITATION | FAMILY PLANNING | PROGRAM ACCESSIBILITY | Africa, Central | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Developing Countries | Evaluation Indexes | Quantitative Evaluation | Evaluation | Planning | Organization and Administration | Economic Factors | Health | Health Services | Delivery of Health Care | HIV Infections | Viral Diseases | Diseases | AIDS | Parasitic Diseases | |