Level trends determinants and demographic consequences of contraceptive sterilization in Thailand

Abstract

The purposes of this study is to find out levels and trends of contraceptive sterilization in Thailand during the past decade by using data collected from the Family Planning Unit, Dept of Health as indicators. The findings indicate an increasing trend in female contraceptive sterilization but a decreasing trend in male contraceptive sterlization. The study on determinants of contraceptive sterilization used the data from the survey of "Contraceptive Use Patterns in Thailand", by the Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidlo University. The survey was conducted by random samplings of all population in the country, using multi-stage sampling with probability proportion to size from 25 provinces, i.e. Bangkok, 9 provinces in Central Region, 5 provinces in Northern Region, 5 provinces in Northeastern Region, and 5 provinces in Southern Region. The total 6,835 samplings were interviewed during April-August 1987 on the topic of all contraceptive methods used by women. There are 12 contraceptive methods and the conclusion the study is as follows : The study of the rationship of 10 independent variables, consisting of Women Age, Women Education, Husband Occupation, Age at First Marriage, Annual Family Income, Children Death, Living Son, Living Children, Desired Number of Children and Contraceptive Methods Known, towards the contraceptive sterilization. The study was conducted separately in 4 areas, i.e. Wholekingdom, Bangkok, Urban, and Rural. The study by controlling Number of Living Children, it was found that women age had a strong positive relationship with contraceptive sterilization in all area; Women Education had a relationship with contraceptive sterilization in all areas but only specific significance in the Wholekingdom and the Rural area; Number of Children Death and Number of Living Son had more relationship in Wholekingdom and Rural area, than those in Bangkok and Urban area. The second most significant relationship with contraceptive sterilization after women age were Number of Living Son, and Desired Number of Children. On the analysis of all 10 variables to find out the most significant influence on contraceptive sterilization, by using Logistic Multiple Regression Model, it was found that : In Bangkok the most influenced variable was Women Age, and next followed by Living Children, and Age at First Marriage. All variables had positive relationship except Age at First Marriage had negative relationship. In Urban area the finding was the same in Bangkok which was Women Age and Age at First Marriage. In Rural area the most influence variables were the same as the Whole Kingdom. In all areas the most influenced variables haviging positive relationship with contraceptive sterilization, were Women Age, Living Children, Desired Number of Children, and Living Son. The study of Path Analysis of all 10 variables found that Number of Living children was the most influence variable on contraceptive sterilization was gathered from 239 samplings in Bangkok, 137 samplings in Urban area, and 1,595 samplings in Rural area. The findings summarised the findings that : there was no side effects in general on most people and the health was normal; sexual behavior was mostly the same. In conclusion there were some side effects of contraceptive strilization but most were the same. The study of indepth-interview 17 specialists, doctors and scholars of contraceptive sterilization, most of them confirmed that there was no side effects of contraceptive sterilization on both physical and mental. Therefore this study concludes that the most significant determinant of contraceptive sterilization in number of living children. There are some side effects of contraceptive sterilization but mostly no side effects. Contraceptive sterilization should be encouraged for those couples who have had desired number of children because it is the most effective birth control method.