Measuring Up: Rethinking Demographic Approaches to the Study of Family Planning in the Global South

Abstract

This dissertation uses computational social science methods to provide a rigorous examination of the research and metrics that currently make up the foundation of global family planning policies and goal setting. Understanding how commonly used metrics are applied differently and perform differently based on geographic setting matters because these applications can bias our measurement of family planning behavior in ways that inform future research and funding. In my first manuscript chapter, I trace the trajectory of demographic research on reproductive health to characterize changes in knowledge production across space and time. I apply text analysis and regression techniques to a corpus of literature to provide empirical evidence on the progression (or lack thereof) from research focused on fertility reduction to reproductive health and rights in the Global North and Global South. My second manuscript chapter explores the conceptual and methodological challenges associated with a commonly used population-level indicator, unmet need for family planning. My analysis uses decomposition techniques to unpack the measurement challenges associated with unmet need that complicate the study of fertility change in Sub-Saharan Africa. Finally, my third manuscript chapter uses agent-based modeling to study the relationship between contraceptive choice and method use in Ethiopia, a Sub-Saharan African country of significant interest and investment in the global family planning landscape. This chapter seeks to demonstrate the value of individual-level modeling approaches, which can be used by researchers to promote the development of more effective, person-centered programming and policy interventions. In summary, the findings of this dissertation project aim to provide a deeper understanding of what is missed when we do not incorporate more contextualized, women-centered approaches to family planning research on Global South countries.