Gender Equity and Contraceptive Use in China: An Ecological Analysis

Abstract

Using data from China's population-based 2000 census, this ecological study examined the association between gender equity and women's contraceptive use in 30 provinces. Five province-level indicators of gender equity were used: sex ratio at birth, health, employment, education, and political participation. With the exception of sex ratio, all indices were comprised of several components. The indicators and components were grouped into tertiles. Generalized linear models were used to examine the associations between these indicators and contraceptive use. Provinces in the middle tertile of political participation had higher prevalence of contraceptive use than those in the lowest tertile (β = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.02–0.52, p < 0.034). Compared to regions in the lowest tertile, regions in the highest tertile of the proportion of females in provincial-level parties and government (β = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.04–0.46, p < 0.020) and middle tertile of female employment in all the economic activities except agriculture, industry and construction (β = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.04–0.46, p < 0.021) had a higher prevalence of contraceptive use. Regions in the middle tertile of female illiteracy (β = −0.25, 95% CI: −0.42–0.07, p < 0.006) had a lower prevalence of use of contraceptives than those in the lowest tertile. The authors of this study found mixed evidence of an association between gender equity and contraceptive use in China.

KEYWORDS:

• gender equity
• contraception
• developing country
• women's health
• social determinants

Notes

The authors of this study would like to thank Miss Jian Zhang, research assistant at the Nossal Institute for Global Health at the University of Melbourne, for assistance of statistic computer program Stata.

Note. *Sex ratio of employed persons = (females with jobs / females population aged 15 to 54) / (males with jobs / male population aged 15 to 59) × 100%. Because lack of the data on the population aged 15 to 60 by gender for every province, population aged 15 and over was used instead.

Note. *p < 0.05.

Notes. ^(a)This indicates the reference category. The co-efficient and confidence intervals provided are the model intercept

^(b)Each component was modeled separately without adjustment for each other. Adjusted models included each component adjusted for rural per capital annual net income

*p < 0.05

**p < 0.01.

Notes. ^(a)This indicates the reference category. The co-efficient and confidence intervals provided are the model intercept

^(b)Each component was modeled separately without adjustment for each other. Adjusted models included each component adjusted for rural per capital annual net income

*p < 0.05.

Notes. ^(a)This indicates the reference category. The co-efficient and confidence intervals provided are the model intercept

^(b)Each component was modeled separately without adjustment for each other. Adjusted models included each component adjusted for rural per capital annual net income

**p < 0.01.

Notes. ^(a)This indicates the reference category. The co-efficient and confidence intervals provided are the model intercept

^(a)Each component was modeled separately without adjustment for each other. Adjusted models included each component adjusted for rural per capital annual net income

*p < 0.05.