Working Papers & Publications

Violence and Violence Prevention in Haiti

Pilot Test of a Violence-Prevention Curriculum among High School Students in Port-au-Prince, Haiti: Baseline Evaluation Survey Report

The objectives of this baseline evaluation study were to establish baseline levels of knowledge and skills among high school students in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, that are relevant to dating violence prevention, anger management, conflict resolution and help seeking, prior to the implementation of a violence prevention project based on the SAFE Dates Program.

Short-Term Effects of a Violence Prevention Curriculum on Knowledge of Dating Violence among High School Students in Port-au-Prince, Haiti

This study was carried out to determine whether a violence-prevention curriculum taught to students in grades 10-12 in one public and one private high schools in Port-au-Prince, Haiti would increased knowledge about dating violence.

Adapting a Violence-Prevention Curriculum to the Haitian Setting: Insights from Focus Group Discussions

This report presents qualitative data from focus group discussions held with 10th-12th  grade students and teachers in a private high school in Port-au-Prince about how to adapt a violence-prevention curriculum to the Haitian context.

A Qualitative Study of the Acceptability of and Barriers to Routine Screening for Intimate Partner Violence in Health Care Settings in Artibonite, Haiti: Implications for Training, Practice, and Research

Recognizing the critical role that health care providers can play in addressing intimate partner violence (IPV), this study examined the acceptability of and barriers to routine screening for IPV in health care settings in the Department of Artibonite, Haiti, using semi-structured, face-to-face in-depth interviews.

Strategies in the Fight Against Domestic Violence in Healthcare Facilities in Haiti:  

Female Clients' Perspectives (French version)

Female Clients' Perspectives (English version)

Healthcare Providers' Perspectives (French version)

Healthcare Providers' Perspectives (English version)

Qualitative research was conducted to study barriers to universal screening for intimate partner violence (IPV) in healthcare settings in Artibonite, Haiti.  The study ascertained how female clients feel about talking about IPV with healthcare providers and outlined an agenda for maximizing the effects of provider training on IPV screening practice.  The above are summaries of the provider and female client interviews.

Poverty and Equity

Estimating Expenditure-Based Poverty from the Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey

This paper presents a simple poverty scorecard for Bangladesh that allows researchers to estimate the likelihood that expenditure is below a given poverty line using ten verifiable, inexpensive-to-collect indicators found in both Bangladesh’s 2004 Demographic Health Survey and also in the 2005 Household Income and Expenditure Survey.

Comparing Alternative Measures of Poverty: Assets-Based Wealth Index vs. Expenditures-Based Poverty Score

This paper assesses the predictive validity of using Demographic and Health Survey data to assign expenditures-based poverty rankings to households and individuals, using countries for which there are contemporaneous expenditures surveys and a DHS.

Measuring and Interpreting Urban Fertility and Family Planning Indicators by Wealth in Two South Asian Countries

This study applies new approaches proposed by MEASURE Evaluation to classify wealth using nationally-representative surveys, such as the Demographic and Health Surveys. These approaches are particularly important in cases where identifying and targeting services to the urban poor are of interest.

Effect of an Expansion in Private Sector Provision of Contraceptive Supplies on Horizontal Inequity in Modern Contraceptive Use: Evidence from Africa and Asia

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the expansion of the role of private providers in the provision of modern contraceptive supplies is associated with increased horizontal inequity in modern contraceptive use. The study is based on multiple rounds of Demographic and Health Survey data from four selected countries (Nigeria, Uganda, Bangladesh, and Indonesia) in which there was an increase in the private sector supply of contraceptives.

Family Planning and Maternal Health Care Use Influenced by the Service Delivery Environment, Child Marriage, and Women's Empowerment  

Influence of the Service Delivery Environment on Family Planning Outcomes in Nigeria

Using linked data from the 2009 Community Participation for Action in the Social Sectors (COMPASS) project household and health facility surveys, this paper examines the association of the family planning service delivery environment with contraceptive outcomes among males and females in five Nigerian states.

The Influence of Child Marriage on Fertility, Fertility-Control, and Maternal Health Care Utilization: A Multi-country Study from Asia

Despite the pervasiveness of child marriage and its potentially adverse consequences on reproductive health outcomes, there is relatively little empirical evidence available on this issue.  This study assesses the influence of child marriage on fertility, fertility-control, and maternal health care utilization in four South Asian countries - India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan - after controlling for other individual-, household-, and community-level factors.

Women’s Empowerment and Choice of Contraceptive Methods in Selected African Countries 

This study examines the associations between women’s empowerment and contraceptive use in selected African countries. The hypothesis is tested that, compared to women who are not powered, those who are empowered will be more likely to use contraceptives that are female controlled, as well as couple methods that require the awareness and support of their husbands.

Relationships between Maternal Health Care and Postpartum Modern Contraceptive Use in Kenya and Zambia

This study examines the associations between the use of maternal health care (antenatal and postnatal care) and postpartum modern contraceptives. Using data come from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys in Kenya and Zambia, it highlights a window of opportunity to promote the use of modern contraceptives after childbirth through antenatal care service delivery.

Contraceptive Discontinuation

What Differentiates Method Stoppers from Switchers? Contraceptive Discontinuation and Switching Among Honduran Women

Contraceptive discontinuation contributes to unplanned pregnancy and unwanted births, as well as increased maternal, neonatal and infant morbidity and mortality. Information on differences between women who stop using contraceptives and those who switch to another method would be useful for programs aimed at preventing unplanned pregnancies and their consequences.

Contraceptive Discontinuation among Honduran Women Who Use Reversible Methods

This panel study that was undertaken in four urban areas of Honduras examines the effects of women's individual characteristics, side effects experienced, and service quality on their contraceptive discontinuation.