PDF, 1536K - Measure DHS

Among half of the couples (49 percent), both the spouses report that they approve of family
planning, while among 12 percent of the couples, both disapprove. When only one spouse disapproves,
it is just as likely to be the wife as the husband (13 percent versus 11 percent). There is a very slight
decline in the level of joint approval when the age difference between the husband and the wife
increases. Couples are more likely to approve of family planning when both spouses are educated.
In the Ethiopia DHS, women were asked whether they approved of family planning and, if
married, whether they thought their husband approved of family planning. Table 5.24 shows the percent
distribution of couples by husband’s actual attitude toward family planning, according to the wife’s
perception of his attitude.
The data indicate that when wives report that their husband approves of family planning, they
are generally accurate. For instance, in 85 percent of cases in which the wife reported that her husband
approved of family planning, the husband also said he approved. However, when the wife reported that
her husband disapproved of family planning, in more than half of the cases (56 percent), the opposite
was true; that is, the husband approved.
Table 5.24 Wife’s perception of husband’s attitude toward family planning
Percent distribution of couples by husband’s actual attitude towards family planning,
according to the wife’s perception of his attitude, Ethiopia 2000
_______________________________________________________________________
Husband’s attitude
__________________________
Disap-
Perception Approves approves Unsure Total Number
_______________________________________________________________________
Wife’s perception
of husband’s attitude
Approves
Disapproves
Don’t know
84.6 12.1 3.3 100.0 504
56.4 39.7 3.8 100.0 393
58.7 32.7 8.6 100.0 459
Total
67.7 27.1 5.2 100.0 1,355
72 * Fertility Regulation