Religion and women’s reproductive health-seeking behavior in Nigeria: The moderating effects of women’s empowerment and context.
Presentation Type
Abstract
Faculty Advisor
Sangeeta Parashar
Access Type
Event
Start Date
25-4-2025 10:30 AM
End Date
25-4-2025 11:29 AM
Description
Several studies have highlighted the critical role that religion plays in shaping women’s public and private behaviors. Building on that, we ask the following research questions: To what extent does religion influence women’s reproductive health-seeking behavior, such as contraceptive use and maternal healthcare utilization? Does empowerment, socioeconomic status, and community development mediate observed differences across religious groups? Using nationally representative data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), we use regression models to explore the influence of individual-, household-, and regional-level factors on reproductive health-seeking behavior. Nigeria is an interesting case study because approximately 46% of the population is Christian and 54% Muslim, with significant geographical variations in religious diversity, poverty, and health disparities. Descriptive and inferential statistics are used, and analyses are conducted separately for both religious groups. Model 1 assesses the impact of women’s autonomy, Model 2 evaluates contextual factors such as neighborhood resources and ethnic composition, and Model 3 combines both to test the robustness of autonomy versus structural influences. Preliminary descriptive results indicate that Muslims are less likely to use modern contraceptives and have fewer maternal healthcare visits than Christians. While analyses are ongoing, we anticipate that once women’s empowerment and contextual factors are controlled for, the magnitude of religious differences will be reduced, even if it still exists. Findings have important implications for culturally sensitive health interventions and policy design aimed at improving women's reproductive health outcomes, especially in religiously diverse and economically unequal settings.
Religion and women’s reproductive health-seeking behavior in Nigeria: The moderating effects of women’s empowerment and context.
Several studies have highlighted the critical role that religion plays in shaping women’s public and private behaviors. Building on that, we ask the following research questions: To what extent does religion influence women’s reproductive health-seeking behavior, such as contraceptive use and maternal healthcare utilization? Does empowerment, socioeconomic status, and community development mediate observed differences across religious groups? Using nationally representative data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), we use regression models to explore the influence of individual-, household-, and regional-level factors on reproductive health-seeking behavior. Nigeria is an interesting case study because approximately 46% of the population is Christian and 54% Muslim, with significant geographical variations in religious diversity, poverty, and health disparities. Descriptive and inferential statistics are used, and analyses are conducted separately for both religious groups. Model 1 assesses the impact of women’s autonomy, Model 2 evaluates contextual factors such as neighborhood resources and ethnic composition, and Model 3 combines both to test the robustness of autonomy versus structural influences. Preliminary descriptive results indicate that Muslims are less likely to use modern contraceptives and have fewer maternal healthcare visits than Christians. While analyses are ongoing, we anticipate that once women’s empowerment and contextual factors are controlled for, the magnitude of religious differences will be reduced, even if it still exists. Findings have important implications for culturally sensitive health interventions and policy design aimed at improving women's reproductive health outcomes, especially in religiously diverse and economically unequal settings.
Comments
Poster presentation at the 2025 Student Research Symposium.