The Role of Concordant Fertility Preferences, Couples’ Communication and Decision-Making on Contraceptive Use and Intention to Use among Young Married Couples in Tribal Rajasthan, India: A Dyadic Cross-Sectional Analysis

Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan, University of California, San Francisco
Sumeet Patil, NBER
Nadia Diamond-Smith, University of California, San Francisco

Despite recognizing husbands’ significant roles in sexual and reproductive health behavior, research on fertility preferences and behaviors in India primarily focuses on women. Our study examines the association between couples’ concordance on communication and decision-making about family planning and contraceptive outcomes among 539 newly married couples in Rajasthan, India. We investigated the extent of concordance in communication, decision-making, and fertility preferences, then employed multivariable logistic regression models to analyze the association between these factors and contraceptive use and intentions. Results showed poor concordance in communication and decision-making about family planning. However, couples concordant on communication and decision-making were more likely to have ever used contraception and recently used modern contraception, respectively. No significant association was found between concordance in communication and decision-making and intent to use contraception. Couples aligned on regressive attitudes towards family planning were less likely to intend to use contraception. Our findings highlight the importance of improving couple communication and joint decision-making in family planning interventions. Addressing regressive attitudes could be crucial for increasing future contraceptive use intentions. This research underscores the value of dyadic data in understanding family planning dynamics and suggests that interventions involving both partners could accelerate progress toward Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.

Keywords: Families, Unions and Households, Family Planning and Contraception, Fertility, Gender Dynamics

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