Abstract:
This study attempts to explore the determinants of fertility preferences among married women in Badulla District. For this purpose, 150 married women with the child bearing age of 15-49 are selected on the basis of convenience sampling method and the relevant information were gathered through the structured questionnaires during the period of November 2018 to January 2019 in the Ella Ds Division of the district. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test, binary probit model and marginal effects. Results of frequency reveal that, 66 percent of the married women do not prefer to have another child while 34 percent of them prefer to have an additional child. Chi-square results show that demographic and socio-economic factors are significantly associated with their preferences of fertility. Among these factors, use of family planning, fertility preference of the husband, household monthly earning, education of wife and husband have statistically associated with fertility preference of the married women in the study area. To identify the determinants of fertility preferences among the married women, probit model is employed and its results indicated that all demographic factors negatively impact on the preferences of fertility and among socio-economic factors except household monthly earning and wife’s education, all others are significantly impact on the fertility preferences in the study. These findings may help to policy makers to implement the appropriate family planning programs in future.
