Education, fertility and contraception among Hindus and Roman Catholics in Goa

Researchers used data from a fertility survey of married women aged 30-49 in 36 villages in Goa State in India to compare the variation in fertility marriage patterns and patterns of contraceptive use between Hindu and Roman Catholic women. The adjusted average number of children fell as the community level of education increased but this effect was not significant. On the other hand individual level of education did substantially influence fertility in a negative direction for both groups (p<.01). Further sterilization also had a significant negative effect on fertility (p<.01). A significant relationship only existed between decreasing fertility and rising level of community education for Hindus with 6+ years of education (p<.05). The mean age of marriage for Roman Catholics living in a well educated village and who had 1-5 years of schooling was 2.5 years higher than for women with the same education in a poorly educated village (p<.05). It did not significantly affect Hindus however. A greater proportion of Hindus (mean 53%) regardless of individual and community education used family planning than Roman Catholics (mean 31%). Most Hindus (40%) chose sterilization whereas most Roman Catholics (61%) chose temporary methods particularly traditional methods. Among Hindus only individual level of education substantially affected contraceptive use. For example a women with some education was 32% more likely to use family planning than 1 that had none. Neither individual or community level of education significantly influenced contraceptive use among Roman Catholics. Yet a Roman Catholic at any education level who lived in a better educated village was 83% more likely to be sterilized than a like educated woman in a poorly educated village.