CONSUMER DEMAND AND MARKETING ACTION PLANS FOR FAMILY PLANNING IN BANGLADESH

Abstract

Attempts to identify and analyze the demand for family planning in order to facilitate the formulation of action plans directed toward the effective development and expansion of the family planning products market in Bangladesh. A sample of 800 fertile couples was drawn by means of a multistage stratified sampling plan. Demand for family planning is hypothesized to be determined by the following factors: pressure of unwanted children; fecundity of wife; cost of family planning; attitude toward family planning; and family income. An economic analysis can be made of a couples desire for a certain number of children in which children are perceived as economic goods which yield utility to the family but also compete for family resources. These couple characteristics influence the desire for children: education of husband education of wife occupation of husband kinship ties family income sex distribution of children and number of child deaths. A multivariate analysis was performed in order to identify the variables or variable combinations which best explain the structure of family planning demand. Concepts of market segmentation are used to classify couples into meaningful segments based on knowledge attitudes and practices relating to family planning in order to apply differential marketing efforts. Education of wife was the most significant determinant of demand. Only in families in which the wife was uneducated was husbands education important. Thus female education is essential for effecting a structural change in the reproductive behavior of Bangladesh couples. However this is a long term nonmarketing measure and more feasible short term alternatives are suggested.