Impact of Maternal and Child Health Care Services on Contraceptive Adoption in India: A Calendar Analysis

Overall contraceptive prevalence rate in India has steadily increased, in spite of these gains, fertility is still high and many couples are unable to effectively choose the number and timing of their births. Most of the researchers have tried to show the impact of utilization of antenatal care services on ever-use of family planning methods. Nevertheless, research investigating the nature of this relationship is not well understood, in the sense that ever use of contraceptive is a weak indicator to capture this aspect. In the present study, with the help of a five years reproductive calendar which is first time available in National Family Health Survey 2005-06, concerted attempt will be made to examine whether utilization of maternal and child health care services is one of the major networks for adoption of contraceptive use. We will examine the type and duration of specific contraceptive use, after utilization of maternal and child health care services. Analysis shows that the intensity of antenatal service and institutional delivery service use does have a causal impact on subsequent spacing contraceptive continuation, after controlling other important socio-economic and demography factors. Result of this research work will improve policymakers understanding of determinants of maternal and child health care utilization.