Factors influencing the desire to limit childbearing among in-union women in selected Southern African countries: A pooled analysis

Abstract

High fertility strains national resources, making it crucial to understand factors influencing women’s desire to limit childbearing. This study examined the socio-demographic factors associated with in-union women’s desire to limit childbearing using Demographic and Health Survey data from Angola, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. A weighted sample of 47669 women aged 15-49 was analysed using binary logistic regression. Overall, 39.4% of women desired to limit childbearing. Key associated factors included age, level of education, employment status, age at first birth, age at first marriage, ideal number of children, number of living children, contraceptive use, household wealth, and place of residence. Older women, those with secondary or higher education, those whose ideal number of children was one child, and those with six or more living children were more likely to express a desire to limit childbearing. These findings highlight the need for targeted reproductive health policies and interventions tailored to women’s reproductive preferences in Southern Africa.