National survey regarding the functioning of family relationships as the natural social context where childrearing and parent-child interactions are embedded. Subjective characteristics of primary relationships as they are actualized both in parent-child and parent-parent interactions are focused upon. Characteristics of the wider, social environment are measured both in their subjective and in their objective quality. The aim is to systematically relate societal characteristics with characteristics of the social network to the internal functioning of the family. The child- rearing strategies of parents were taken as central point of reference within the internal functioning of the family as a system. The survey used six separate questionnaires, of which five were to be completed by the parents and one by their child. Of the participating 788 families 681 completed all questionnaires ( 86 percent ) , the remainder completed 3 questionnaires. Themes: detailed demographic data / satisfaction with income / criteria for choice of school / time spent on tv watching, eating, going out, playing, hobbies and sports individually and together with child / family celebrations / importance of educational goals / satisfaction with neighbourhood / social contacts within neighbourhood / background data on parents' parental family / organizational activities / time spent on activities at school of children / baby-sitting / important events during child's life: divorce, death of parents, birth of siblings, adoption, death of sibling, marriage, cohabitation, new partner, foster child, moving in of family or relative or strangers, other changes in family, firing of parent, re-employment of parent, problems at work for parent, promotion of parent, studying of parent, change of job by parent, serious change in family income, financial problems, serious debts, miscarriage, alcohol or drugs problems, serious illness, hospitalization, accident, moving house, problems at school, problems with friends, problems with police or justice, death of relatives or friends, death of pets, family conflicts ( their incidence, frequency and influence ) / physically or mentally handicapped in family / religious background / importance of religion / satisfaction with formal education / occupation / work satisfaction / LIKERT scales: conformity / personal involvement / parental depression / attachment / parental role restrictions / sense of incompetence in parenting / social isolation / marital satisfaction / destructive communication / intimacy / health / adaptability / acceptability / child demanding / mood / distractibility /activity level / impulsiveness / child depression / aggression / reinforcement / reaction to child- rearing situation: authoritarian, inductive reasoning or undemanding and uninvolved / autonomy / restrictiveness / power assertion / induction / affection / love withdrawal / reward / responsiveness / parental goals for childrearing / order / family climate / intellectual and cultural orientation in family / social desirability / parent idealization / cognitive reasoning situations: egoistic orientation, conventional orientation or subjective-individualistic orientation / value orientation / world views / traditional work ethic / cultural conservatism / forms of intimate relationships / attitudes regarding relationships / traditional view on women / ideology of education / function of education / localism / political opinions / attitudes regarding local support / christian work ethic. Background variables: basic characteristics/ place of birth/ residence/ household characteristics/ characteristics of parental family/household/ occupation/employment/ income/capital assets/ education/ politics/ religion/ readership, mass media, and 'cultural' exposure/ organizational membership

The 1990 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) is a nationally representative survey conducted by the Federal Office of Statistics with the aim of gathering reliable information on fertility, family planning, infant and child mortality, maternal care, vaccination status, breastfeeding, and nutrition. Data collection took place two years after implementation of the National Policy on Population and addresses issues raised by that policy. Fieldwork for the NDHS was conducted in two phases: from April to July 1990 in the southern states and from July to October 1990 in the northern states. Interviewers collected information on the reproductive histories of 8,781 women age 15-49 years and on the health of their 8,113 children under the age of five years. OBJECTIVES The Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) is a national sample survey of women of reproductive age designed to collect data on socioeconomic characteristics, marriage patterns, history of child bearing, breastfeeding, use of contraception, immunisation of children, accessibility to health and family planning services, treatment of children during episodes of illness, and the nutritional status of children. The primary objectives of the NDHS are: (i) To collect data for the evaluation of family planning and health programmes; (ii) To assess the demographic situation in Nigeria; and (iii) To support dissemination and utilisation of the results in planning and managing family planning and health programmes. MAIN RESULTS According to the NDHS, fertility remains high in Nigeria; at current fertility levels, Nigerian women will have an average of 6 children by the end of their reproductive years. The total fertility rate may actually be higher than 6.0, due to underestimation of births. In a 1981/82 survey, the total fertility rate was estimated to be 5.9 children per woman. One reason for the high level of fertility is that use of contraception is limited. Only 6 percent of married women currently use a contraceptive method (3.5 percent use a modem method, and 2.5 percent use a traditional method). These levels, while low, reflect an increase over the past decade: ten years ago just 1 percent of Nigerian women were using a modem family planning method. Periodic abstinence (rhythm method), the pill, IUD, and injection are the most popular methods among married couples: each is used by about 1 percent of currently married women. Knowledge of contraception remains low, with less than half of all women age 15-49 knowing of any method. Certain groups of women are far more likely to use contraception than others. For example, urban women are four times more likely to be using a contraceptive method (15 percent) than rural women (4 percent). Women in the Southwest, those with more education, and those with five or more children are also more likely to be using contraception. Levels of fertility and contraceptive use are not likely to change until there is a drop in desired family size and until the idea of reproductive choice is more widely accepted. At present, the average ideal family size is essentially the same as the total fertility rate: six children per woman. Thus, the vast majority of births are wanted. The desire for childbearing is strong: half of women with five children say that they want to have another child. Another factor leading to high fertility is the early age at marriage and childbearing in Nigeria. Half of all women are married by age 17 and half have become mothers by age 20. More than a quarter of teenagers (women age 15-19 years) either are pregnant or already have children. National statistics mask dramatic variations in fertility and family planning between urban and rural areas, among different regions of the country, and by women's educational attainment. Women who are from urban areas or live in the South and those who are better educated want and have fewer children than other women and are more likely to know of and use modem contraception. For example, women in the South are likely to marry and begin childbearing several years later than women in the North. In the North, women continue to follow the traditional pattern and marry early, at a median age of 15, while in the South, women are marrying at a median age of 19 or 20. Teenagers in the North have births at twice the rate of those in the South: 20 births per 1130 women age 15-19 in the North compared to 10 birdas per 100 women in the South. Nearly half of teens in the North have already begun childbearing, versus 14 percent in South. This results in substantially lower total fertility rates in the South: women in the South have, on average, one child less than women in the North (5.5 versus 6.6). The survey also provides information related to maternal and child health. The data indicate that nearly 1 in 5 children dies before their fifth birthday. Of every 1,000 babies born, 87 die during their first year of life (infant mortality rate). There has been little improvement in infant and child mortality during the past 15 years. Mortality is higher in rural than urban areas and higher in the North than in the South. Undemutrition may be a factor contributing to childhood mortality levels: NDHS data show that 43 percent of the children under five are chronically undemourished. These problems are more severe in rural areas and in the North. Preventive and curative health services have yet to reach many women and children. Mothers receive no antenatal care for one-third of births and over 60 percent of all babies arc born at home. Only one-third of births are assisted by doctors, trained nurses or midwives. A third of the infants are never vaccinated, and only 30 percent are fully immunised against childhood diseases. When they are ill, most young children go untreated. For example, only about one-third of children with diarrhoea were given oral rehydration therapy. Women and children living in rural areas and in the North are much less likely than others to benefit from health services. Almost four times as many births in the North are unassisted as in the South, and only one-third as many children complete their polio and DPT vaccinations. Programmes to educate women about the need for antenatal care, immunisation, and proper treatment for sick children should perhaps be aimed at mothers in these areas, Mothers everywhere need to learn about the proper time to introduce various supplementary foods to breastfeeding babies. Nearly all babies are breastfed, however, almost all breastfeeding infants are given water, formula, or other supplements within the first two months of life, which both jeopardises their nutritional status and increases the risk of infection.

The Sudan Demographic and Health Survey (SDHS) was conducted in two phases between November 15, 1989 and May 21, 1990 by the Department of Statistics of the Ministry of Economic and National Planning. The survey collected information on fertility levels, marriage patterns, reproductive intentions, knowledge and use of contraception, maternal and child health, maternal mortality, and female circumcision. The survey findings provide the National Population Committee and the Ministry of Health with valuable information for use in evaluating population policy and planning public health programmes. A total of 5860 ever-married women age 15-49 were interviewed in six regions in northern Sudan; three regions in southern Sudan could not be included in the survey because of civil unrest in that part of the country. The SDHS provides data on fertility and mortality comparable to the 1978-79 Sudan Fertility Survey (SFS) and complements the information collected in the 1983 census. The primary objective of the SDHS was to provide data on fertility, nuptiality, family planning, fertility preferences, childhood mortality, indicators of maternal health care, and utilization of child health services. Additional information was coUected on educational level, literacy, source of household water, and other housing conditions. The SDHS is intended to serve as a source of demographic data for comparison with the 1983 census and the Sudan Fertility Survey (SFS) 1978-79, and to provide population and health data for policymakers and researchers. The objectives of the survey are to: assess the overall demographic situation in Sudan, assist in the evaluation of population and health programmes, assist the Department of Statistics in strengthening and improving its technical skills for conducting demographic and health surveys, enable the National Population Committee (NPC) to develop a population policy for the country, and measure changes in fertility and contraceptive prevalence, and study the factors which affect these changes, and examine the basic indicators of maternal and child health in Sudan. MAIN RESULTS Fertility levels and trends Fertility has declined sharply in Sudan, from an average of six children per women in the Sudan Fertility Survey (TFR 6.0) to five children in the Sudan DHS survey flTR 5.0). Women living in urban areas have lower fertility (TFR 4.1) than those in rural areas (5.6), and fertility is lower in the Khartoum and Northern regions than in other regions. The difference in fertility by education is particularly striking; at current rates, women who have attained secondary school education will have an average of 3.3 children compared with 5.9 children for women with no education, a difference of almost three children. Although fertility in Sudan is low compared with most sub-Saharan countries, the desire for children is strong. One in three currently married women wants to have another child within two years and the same proportion want another child in two or more years; only one in four married women wants to stop childbearing. The proportion of women who want no more children increases with family size and age. The average ideal family size, 5.9 children, exceeds the total fertility rate (5.0) by approximately one child. Older women are more likely to want large families than younger women, and women just beginning their families say they want to have about five children. Marriage Almost all Sudanese women marry during their lifetime. At the time of the survey, 55 percent of women 15-49 were currently married and 5 percent were widowed or divorced. Nearly one in five currently married women lives in a polygynous union (i.e., is married to a man who has more than one wife). The prevalence of polygyny is about the same in the SDHS as it was in the Sudan Fertility Survey. Marriage occurs at a fairly young age, although there is a trend toward later marriage among younger women (especially those with junior secondary or higher level of schooling). The proportion of women 15-49 who have never married is 12 percentage points higher in the SDHS than in the Sudan Fertiliy Survey. There has been a substantial increase in the average age at first marriage in Sudan. Among SDHS. Since age at first marriage is closely associated with fertility, it is likely that fertility will decrease in the future. With marriages occurring later, women am having their first birth at a later age. While one in three women age 45-49 had her first birth before age 18, only one in six women age 20-24 began childbearing prior to age 18. The women most likely to postpone marriage and childbearing are those who live in urban areas ur in the Khartoum and Northern regions, and women with pest-primary education. Breastfeeding and postpartum abstinence Breastfeeding and postpartum abstinence provide substantial protection from pregnancy after the birth uf a child. In addition to the health benefits to the child, breastfeeding prolongs the length of postpartum amenorrhea. In Sudan, almost all women breastfeed their children; 93 percent of children are still being breastfed 10-11 months after birth, and 41 percent continue breastfeeding for 20-21 months. Postpartum abstinence is traditional in Sudan and in the first two months following the birth of a child 90 percent of women were abstaining; this decreases to 32 percent after two months, and to 5 percent at~er one year. The survey results indicate that the combined effects of breastfeeding and postpartum abstinence protect women from pregnancy for an average of 15 months after the birth of a child. Knowledge and use of contraception Most currently married women (71 percent) know at least one method of family planning, and 59 percent know a source for a method. The pill (70 percent) is the most widely known method, followed by injection, female sterilisation, and the IUD. Only 39 percent of women knew a traditional method of family planning. Despite widespread knowledge of family planning, only about one-fourth of ever-married women have ever used a contraceptive method, and among currently married women, only 9 percent were using a method at the time of the survey (6 percent modem methods and 3 percent traditional methods). The level of contraceptive use while still low, has increased from less than 5 percent reported in the Sudan Fertility Survey. Use of family planning varies by age, residence, and level of education. Current use is less than 4 percent among women 15-19, increases to 10 percent for women 30-44, then decreases to 6 percent for women 45-49. Seventeen percent of urban women practice family planning compared with only 4 percent of rural women; and women with senior secondary education are more likely to practice family planning (26 percent) than women with no education (3 percent). There is widespread approval of family planning in Sudan. Almost two-thirds of currently married women who know a family planning method approve of the use of contraception. Husbands generally share their wives's views on family planning. Three-fourths of married women who were not using a contraceptive method at the time of the survey said they did not intend to use a method in the future. Communication between husbands and wives is important for successful family planning. Less than half of currently married women who know a contraceptive method said they had talked about family planning with their husbands in the year before the survey; one in four women discussed it once or twice; and one in five discussed it more than twice. Younger women and older women were less likely to discuss family planning than those age 20 to 39. Mortality among children The neonatal mortality rate in Sudan remained virtually unchanged in the decade between the SDHS and the SFS (44 deaths per 1000 births), but under-five mortality decreased by 14 percent (from 143 deaths per 1000 births to 123 per thousand). Under-five mortality is 19 percent lower in urban areas (117 per 1000 births) than in rural areas (144 per 10(30 births). The level of mother's education and the length of the preceding birth interval play important roles in child survival. Children of mothers with no education experience nearly twice the level of under-five mortality as children whose mother had attained senior secondary or nigher education. Mortality among children under five is 2.7 times higher among children born after an interval of less than 24 months than among children born after interval of 48 months or more. Maternal mortality The maternal mortality rate (maternal deaths per 1000 women years of exposure) has remained nearly constant over the twenty years preceding the survey, while the maternal mortality ratio (number of maternal deaths per 100,000 births), has increased (despite declining fertility). Using the direct method of estimation, the maternal mortality ratio is 352 maternal deaths per 100,000 births for the period 1976-82, and 552 per 100,000 births for the period 1983-89. The indirect estimate for the maternal mortality ratio is 537. The latter estimate is an average of women's experience over an extended period before the survey centred on 1977. Maternal health care The health care mothers receive during pregnancy and delivery is important to the survival and well-being of both children and mothers. The SDHS results indicate that most women in Sudan made at least one antenatal visit to a doctor or trained health worker/midwife. Eighty-seven percent of births benefitted from professional antenatal care in urban areas compared with 62 percent in rural areas. Although the proportion of pregnant mothers seen by trained health workers/midwives are similar in urban and rural areas, doctors provided antenatal care for 42 percent and 19 percent of births in urban and rural areas, respectively. Neonatal tetanus, a major cause of infant deaths in developing countries, can be prevented if mothers receive tetanus toxoid vaccinations.

The 2006-07 Namibia Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) is a nationally representative survey of 9,804 women age 15-49 and 3,915 men age 15-49. The 2006-07 NDHS is the third comprehensive survey conducted in Namibia as part of the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) programme. The data are intended to provide programme managers and policymakers with detailed information on levels and trends in fertility; nuptiality; sexual activity; fertility preferences; awareness and use of family planning methods; breastfeeding practices; nutritional status of mothers and young children; early childhood mortality, adult and maternal mortality; maternal and child health; and awareness and behaviour regarding HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. The 2006-07 NDHS is the first NDHS survey to collect information on malaria prevention and treatment. The 2006-07 NDHS has been a large-scale research project. Twenty-eight field teams interviewed about 9,200 households, 9,800 women and 3,900 men age 15-49. The interviews were conducted between November 2006 and March 2007. The survey covered about 500 primary sampling units in all regions. The 2006-07 Namibia Demographic and Health Survey is designed to: Determine key demographic rates, particularly fertility, under-five mortality, and adult mortality rates; Investigate the direct and indirect factors that determine the level and trends of fertility; Measure the level of contraceptive knowledge and practice among women and men by method; Determine immunisation coverage and prevalence and treatment of diarrhoea and acute respiratory diseases among children under five; identify infant and young child feeding practices and assess the nutritional status of children age 6-59 months and women age 15-49 years; Assess knowledge and attitudes of women and men regarding sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS, and evaluate patterns of recent behaviour regarding condom use; Identify behaviours that protect or predispose people to HIV infection and examine social, economic, and cultural determinants of HIV; Determine the proportion of households with orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs); and Determine the proportion of households with sick people taken care of at household level. The 2006-07 NDHS is part of the worldwide Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) programme funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). DHS surveys are designed to collect data on fertility, family planning, and maternal and child health; assist countries in conducting periodic surveys to monitor changes in population, health, and nutrition; and provide an international database that can be used by researchers investigating topics related to population, health, and nutrition. MAIN RESULTS Fertility : The survey results show that Namibia has experienced a decline in fertility of almost two births over the past 15 years, with the fertility rate falling from 5.4 births per woman in 19901992 to 3.6 births in 2005-07. Family planning : Knowledge of family planning in Namibia has been nearly universal since 1992. In the 2006-07 NDHS, 98 percent of all women reported knowing about a contraceptive method. Male condoms, injectables, and the pill are the most widely known methods. Child health : Data from the 2006-07 NDHS indicate that the under-five mortality rate in Namibia is 69 deaths per 1,000 live births (based on the five-year period preceding the survey). Maternal health : In Namibia, almost all women who had a live birth in the five years preceding the survey received antenatal care from health professionals (95 percent): 16 percent from a doctor and 79 percent from a nurse or midwife. Only 4 percent of mothers did not receive any antenatal care. Breastfeeding and nutrition : Breastfeeding is common in Namibia, with 94 percent of children breastfed at some point during childhood. The median breastfeeding duration in Namibia is 16.8 months. Malaria: One in four households interviewed in the survey has at least one mosquito net, and most of these households have a net that has been treated at some time with an insecticide (20 percent). HIV/AIDS and STIS : Knowledge of HIV and AIDS is universal in Namibia; 99 percent of women age 15-49 and 99 percent of men age 15-49 have heard of AIDS. Orphans and vulnerable children : One-quarter of Namibian children under age 18 in the households sampled for the 2006-07 NDHS live with both parents, while one in three does not live with either parent. Seventeen percent of children under age 18 are orphaned, that is, one or both parents is dead. Access to health facilities : Households interviewed in the 2006-07 NDHS were asked to name the nearest government health facility, the mode of transport they would use to visit the facility, and how long it takes to get to the facility using the transport of choice.