The association of television and radio with reproductive behavior
Westoff, C.F.; Koffman, D.A.
Population and Development Review 37(4): 749-759
2011
ISSN/ISBN: 0098-7921 PMID: 22319772 Document Number: 561273
This note analyzes the association between media exposure and reproductive behavior in 48 developing countries. A summary of part of a more extensive Demographic and Health Surveys report, it shows strong connections between media exposure and the use of modern contraception, the number of children desired, and recent fertility. Television viewing is particularly important; it is assumed to expose viewers to aspects of modern life that compete with traditional attitudes toward the family and is associated with greater use of modern contraceptive methods, with a desire for fewer children, and with lower fertility. These relationships are particularly noteworthy because the data measure only the frequency of media exposure with no information about its content.