Eritrea Demographic and Health Survey 1995 ® National Statistics Office Department of Macro Policy and International Economic Cooperation Office of the President ®DHS Demographic and Health Surveys Macro International Inc. World Summit for Children Indicators: Eritrea 1995 Value BASIC INDICATORS Childhood mortality Infant mortality rate (adjusted rate) 72 per 1,000 Under-five mortality rate 136 per 1,000 Maternal mortality Maternal mortality ratio 985 per 100,000 Childhood undernutrition Percent stunted 38.4 Percent wasted 16.4 Percent underweight 43.7 Clean water supply Percent of households within 15 minutes of a safe water supply I 16.4 Sanitary excreta disposal Percent of households with flush toilets or VIP latrines 12.8 Basic education Percent of women 15-49 with completed primary education 18.5 Percent of men 15-49 with completed primary education 30.7 Percent of girls 6-12 attending school 40.4 Percent of boys 6-12 attending school 45.1 Percent of women 15-49 who are literate 34.8 Children in especially Percent of children who are orphans (both parents dead) 0.7 difficult situations Percent of children who do not live with their natural mother 10.0 Percent of children who live in single adult households 11.2 SUPPORTING INDICATORS Women's Health Birth spacing Percent of births within 24 months of a previous birth 25.6 Safe motherhood Percent of births with medical prenatal care 48.9 Percent of births with prenatal care in first trimester 12.0 Percent of births with medical assistance at delivery 20.6 Percent of births in a medical facility 17.3 Percent of births at high risk 64.6 Family planning Contraceptive prevalence rate (any method, currently married women 8.0 Percent of currently married women with an unmet demand for family planning 27.5 Percent of currently married women with an unmet need for family planning to avoid a high-risk birth 21.8 Nutrition Maternal nutrition Percent of mothers with low BMI 40.6 Low birth weight Percent of births at low birth weight (of those reporting numeric weight) 20.7 Breastfeeding Percent of children under 4 months who are exclusively breastfed 63.5 Iodine Percent of households with iodized salt 0.2 Child Health Vaccinations Percent of children whose mothers received tetanus toxoid vaccination during pregnancy 33.3 Percent of children 12-23 months with measles vaccination 51.0 Percent of children 12-23 months fully vaccinated 41.4 Diarrhea control Percent of children with diarrhea in preceding 2 weeks who received oral rehydration therapy (sugar-salt-water solution) 37.6 Acute respiratory infection Percent of children with acute respiratory infection in preceding 2 weeks who were seen by medical personnel 37.1 I Piped, well, and bottled water Eritrea Demographic and Health Survey 1995 National Statistics Office Department of Macro Policy and International Economic Cooperation Office of the President Asmara, Eritrea Macro International Inc. Calverton, Maryland USA March 1997 This report summarizes the findings of the 1995 Eritrea Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) conducted by the National Statistics Office in the Department of Macro Policy and International Economic Cooperation, Office of the President. Macro International Inc. provided technical assistance. Funding was provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development. The EDHS is part of the worldwide Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) program, which is designed to collect data on fertility, family planning, and maternal and child health. Additional information about the Eritrea survey may be obtained from the National Statistics Office, P.O. Box 5838, Asmara, Eritrea (Telephone: 291-1-128034; Fax: 291-1-128034). Additional information about the DHS program may be obtained by writing to: DHS, Macro Inter- national Inc., 11785 Beltsville Drive, Suite 300, Calvertoo, MD 20705 (Telephone 301-572-0200; Fax: 301-572-0999). Recommended citation: National Statistics Office [Eritrea] and Macro International Inc. 1995. Eritrea Demographic and Health Survey, 1995. Calverton, Maryland: National Statistics Office and Macro International Inc. CONTENTS Page Tables ................................................................ vii Figures ................................................................ xiii Preface ................................................................ xv Summary of Findings ..................................................... xvii Map of Eritrea .......................................................... xxii CHAt~R 1 INTRODUCTION .............................................. 1 1.1 Geography, History and Economy ................................... 1 1.2 Population ................................................... 2 1.3 Historical Health Settings and Problems ............................... 2 1A Health Policy Goals, Priorities and Programs ........................... 3 1.5 Family Planning Policies and Programs ............................... 4 1.6 Objectives and Organization of the Survey ............................. 5 1.6.1 Sample Design and Implementation ............................ 6 1.6.2 Questionnaires ........................................... 6 1.6.3 Training and Fieldwork .................................... 7 1.6.4 Data Processing .......................................... 7 1.6.5 Response Rate ........................................... 7 CHAPTER 2 CHARACTERISTICS OF HOUSEHOLDS AND RESPONDENTS ........... 9 2.1 Household Population ........................................... 9 2.1.1 Age-Sex Composition ...................................... 9 2.1.2 Household Composition ................................... 12 2.1.3 Educational Level of Household Members ...................... 13 2.1.4 School Enrollment ....................................... 16 2.1.5 Employment Status and Occupation of Hou,,ehold Population ......... 17 2.2 Housing Characteristics ......................................... 20 2.2.1 Household Durable Goods ................................. 24 2.3 Characteristics of Survey Respondents ............................... 24 2.3.1 Background Characteristics ................................. 24 2.3.2 Characteristics of Couples .................................. 26 2.3.3 Education Level of Survey Respondents ........................ 26 2.3.4 School Attendance and Reasons for Leaving School ............... 28 2.3.5 Access to Mass Media .................................... 29 2.3.6 Women's Employment Status ............................... 29 iii Page 2.3.7 Women's Employer and Form of Earnings ...................... 31 2.3.8 Women's and Men's Occupation ............................. 32 2.3.9 Decision on Use of Women's Earnings ......................... 35 2.3.10 Child Care While Working ................................. 36 CHAPTER 3 FERTILITY ................................................. 39 3.1 Current Fertility .............................................. 39 3.2 Fertility Differentials .......................................... 40 3.3 Fertility Trends ............................................... 41 3A Retrospective Fertility .......................................... 42 3.5 Birth Intervals ................................................ 43 3.6 Age at First Birth ............................................. 44 3.7 Adolescent Fertility ............................................ 46 CHAPTER 4 FERTILITY REGULATION ..................................... 49 4.1 Knowledge of Contraceptive Methods ............................... 49 4.2 Ever Use of Contraception ....................................... 52 4.3 Current Use of Contraceptive Methods .............................. 54 4.4 Number of Children at First Use of Contraception ...................... 58 4.5 Knowledge of Contraceptive Effects of Breastfeeding .................... 58 4.6 Source of Family Planning Methods ................................ 60 4.7 Intention to Use Family Planning Among Nonusers ..................... 61 4.8 Reasons for Nonuse of Contraception ............................... 62 4.9 Preferred Method of Contraception for Future Use ...................... 63 4.10 Exposure to Family Planning Messages in the Electronic Media ............. 63 4.11 Acceptability of Use of Electronic Media to Disseminate Family Planning Messages ................................................... 64 4.12 Exposure to Family Planning Messages in Print Media ................... 66 4.13 Discussion of Family Planning with Husband .......................... 67 4.14 Attitudes Toward Family Planning ................................. 67 CHAPTER 5 OTHER PROXIMATE DETERMINANTS OF FERTILITY ............... 71 5.1 Marital Status ................................................ 71 5.2 Sexual Relationships Among Unmarried Women ....................... 72 5.3 Polygyny ................................................... 73 5.4 Age at First Marriage .......................................... 74 5.5 Age at First Sexual Intercourse .................................... 77 5.6 Recent Sexual Activity ......................................... 78 5.7 Postpartum Amenorrhea, Abstinence and Insusceptibility .................. 81 5.8 Termination of Exposure to Pregnancy .............................. 82 CHAFFER 6 FERTILITY PREFERENCES ..................................... 85 6.1 Reproductive Preferences ....................................... 85 6.2 Need for Family Planning Services ................................. 90 iv Page 6.3 Ideal Family Size ............................................. 93 6.4 Wanted and Unwanted Fertility ...................................