Contraceptive Intention Behavior in Rural Bangladesh: Factors in the Diffusion of an Innovation

Abstract

Realizing the importance of religion, peer influence, and the role of various attributes of contraceptive methods, this paper develops a Fishbein-type behavioral intention model as an alternative to the traditional analysis of factors affecting the use or nonuse of contraception. The model is then empirically tested using individual-level data collected from a rural area of Bangladesh. The results of this study suggest that attitude toward contraception in general, global motivation, and method-specific attitude were the three important determinants of the intention to use birth control pills in the study area. The policy implications of the findings are also discussed.