Birthspacing, Fertility, and Family Planning: Policy and Program Implications from the Malaysian Family Life Survey

摘要

During the past 20 years, an active family planning program has helped Malaysia reduce its overall fertility rate, although unevenly across the various ethnic and other segments of society. This report discusses the findings of the 1976-77 Malaysian Family Life Survey on factors contributing to this decline and the implications of these findings for future family planning and related programs. After outlining the survey's conceptual framework and data gathering methods, trends in birthspacing, breastfeeding, and contraceptive use evident from the survey are examined. The remainder of the report focuses on the practical implications of these trends for health and family planning programs and policies, for socioeconomic policies, and for future fertility research.