“Family planning and population programs” a book review article

Abstract

Resumen El volumen Planeamiento Familiar y Programas de Poblacion es un libro indispensable tanto para demógrafos como para otras personas interesadas en el control de población. Tiene sus limitaciones dodo su caracter heterogéneo, su falta de autocrítica, el no tratar sobre la validez y confiabilidad de las encuestas de conocimientos, attitudes y prácticas (KAP), su injustificado tono optimista, y su fracaso al no explorar y considerar alternativas para las presunciones y premisas sobre las cuales se basan los actuates programas de planeamiento familiar. Es sin embargo un importante hito que resume las contribuciones de las ciencias sociales y biomédicas al campo de la demografía.

A Critique of KAP Studies and Some Suggestions for Their Improvement

“…Some of the more obvious pitfalls in design have already been described in the family planning literature (for example, Stephan, 1962;Hauser, 1967), but little heed has been taken of these warnings.…”

Uncertainty in fertility intentions in Britain, 1979-2007

“…Westoff et al 1957;Hauser 1967) about both the stability and predictive power of stated birth expectations. Two decades of research findings to the 1970s were succinctly summarised by Westoff and Ryder (1977) and analysed further by Lee (1980Lee ( , 1981.…”

Fertility Preferences and Contraceptive Change in Developing Countries

“…Doubts about their validity have led to skepticism that the "KAP-gap" and "unmet need" estimates are truly indicative of the potential for fertility decline in the absence of increases in the desire to avoid pregnancy. 9 The weight of accumulated empirical research is that survey data on fertility desires, as assessed either at the aggregate or at the individual level, are valid. 10 Hence, in the debate during the 1990s about the relative contributions of supplyside and demand-side factors, the overall validity of fertility preferences data has not been questioned.…”