Table 2

Selected measures among women in matched couples in 53 low and middle resource countries, Demographic and Health Survey 2006–2018

VariablesPercentage/mean
Husbands’ ideal number of children (mean)*4.64
Decision-making†
 Any voice of women in all three decisions (%)61.14
 Women voice count in household decision (0–3) (mean)2.23
Attitudes toward wife-beating‡
 No reason is rationalised for wife-beating (%)57.34
 Count of reasons for which wife-beating is rationalised (0–5) (mean)3.8
Gender-related variables
 Interspousal age difference (mean years)4.72
 Interspousal education difference (mean years)0.27
 Age at first marriage (mean)19.5
 Going to healthcare centre is permitted (%)83.5
Contraceptive decision
 Wife has taken alone or jointly91.41
Socio-economic and demographic characteristics
 Residence (%)
 Rural60.95
 Urban39.05
Household wealth index (%)
 Poorest17.46
 Poor19.41
 Middle19.89
 Rich20.86
 Richest22.38
Education (%)
 No education35.96
 Primary26.66
 Secondary and more28.14
 Higher9.23
Polygamous union (%)
 No88.34
 Yes11.66
No. of living children (%)
 02.61
 1–229.88
 3–434.80
 5 and more32.71
Any media exposure on family planning§
 No49.79
 Yes50.21
Employment status
 No work in last 1 year41.17
 At least work in last 1 year58.83

  • *Non-numerical replies added as mean of preferred number of children.

  • †Final say of women either alone or jointly with husband regarding own healthcare, household purchase and family visit and kin.

  • ‡Whether a husband is justified in beating his wife if she goes out without telling him, negligent towards their offspring, a quarrel with the male partner, declines to engage in sexual relations with the husband or burns the meal.

  • §Any exposure of media like radio, television and newspaper regarding family planning in last 1 year.