Impact Evaluation of Maternal-Child Health and Family Planning Services Utilization in Uttar Pradesh, India

The main aim of this paper is to assess the impact of at least one maternal healthcare service from three core components (antenatal care, institutional delivery, postnatal care) on contraceptive use. Data from the third wave of cross-sectional District Level Household Survey (2007-08) that covered 87,564 ever-married women aged 15-44 years in Uttar Pradesh have been analyzed. Results from the propensity score matching show that effects of utilizing at least one MH service (treatment) on contraceptive use (outcome) is statistically significant. The correlation coefficient among unobservable factors is also found to be significant. It indicates that variable for treatment variable created a selection bias while it was taken as one of the independent variables to predict likelihood of using a contraceptive method. Biprobit analysis shows that effects of using at least one MH service are positive and significant on likelihood of using a FP method. Likelihood of using a FP method also significantly varies by intensity of MCH services utilization and available community level factors. Reproductive health managers may use such dividends of utilization of MCH services in making family planning program strategies in rural Uttar Pradesh.