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List of Available Tables |
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Table 2.1 Household population by age, residence, and sex
Table 2.2 Median and dependency ratio
Table 2.3 Household composition
Table 2.4.1 Educational level of the male household population
Table 2.4.2 Educational level of the female household population
Table 2.5 School enrolment
Table 2.6 Housing conveniences
Table 2.7 Household durable goods
Table 2.8.1 Background characteristics of respondents
Table 2.8.2 Background characteristics of respondents by residence and region
Table 2.9 Level of education
Table 2.10 Exposure to mass media
Table 2.11 Employment status
Table 2.12 Type of employer
Table 2.13 Occupation
Table 2.14 Person who decides on use of earnings
Table 2.15 Child care while working
Table 2.16 Child care while working by region
Table 3.1 Current feritility
Table 3.2 Fertility by background characteristics
Table 3.3 Fertility trends
Table 3.4 Age-specific fertility rates
Table 3.5 Fertility by marital duration
Table 3.6 Children ever-born and living
Table 3.7 Birth intervals
Table 3.8 Age at first birth
Table 3.9 Median age at first birth
Table 3.10 Teenage pregnancy and motherhood
Table 4.1 Knowledge of contraceptive methods and a source for methods
Table 4.2 Knowledge of modern contraceptive methods and source for methods
Table 4.3 Ever use of contraception
Table 4.4 Current use of contraception by age
Table 4.5 Trends in contraceptive use
Table 4.6 Current use of contraception by background charateristics
Table 4.7 Number of children at first use of contraception
Table 4.8 Problems with current method of contraception
Table 4.9 Knowledge of fertile period
Table 4.10 Timing of sterilization
Table 4.11 Willingness to pay for contraceptive method used
Table 4.12 Source of supply for modern contraceptive methods
Table 4.13 Time to source of supply for modern contraceptive method used
Table 4.14 First year discontinuation rates for contraception
Table 4.15 Reason for discontinuing of contraception
Table 4.16 Future use of contraception
Table 4.17 Reasons for not using contraception
Table 4.18 Preferred method of contraception for future use
Table 4.19 Exposure to family planning messages in the mass media
Table 4.20 Acceptability of the use of mass media for disseminating family planning message
Table 4.21 Exposure to family planning slogan
Table 5.1 Current marital status
Table 5.2 Age at first marriage
Table 5.3 Median age at first marriage
Table 5.4 Age at first sexual intercourse
Table 5.5 Median age at first intercourse
Table 5.6 Recent sexual activity
Table 5.7 Postpartum amenorrhea, abstinence, and insusceptibility
Table 5.8 Median duration of postpartum insusceptibility by background characteristics
Table 5.9 Menopause
Table 6.1 Fertility preferences by number of living children
Table 6.2 Fertility preferences by age
Table 6.3 Desire to limit (stop) childbearing
Table 6.4 Need for family planning services
Table 6.5 Ideal number of children
Table 6.6 Mean ideal number of children by background characteristics
Table 6.7 Fertility planning status
Table 6.8 Wanted fertility rates
Table 6.9 Couple’s consensus on family size
Table 7.1 Infant and child mortality
Table 7.2 Trend in infant mortality rate
Table 7.3 Infant and child mortality by socio-economic characteristics
Table 7.4 Infant and child mortality by demographic characteristics
Table 7.5 High-risk fertility behavior
Table 8.1 Prenatal care
Table 8.2 Information about danger signs of pregnancy
Table 8.3 Tetanus toxoid vaccinations
Table 8.4 Iron and iodine supplementation during pregnancy
Table 8.5 Place of delivery
Table 8.6 Assistance during delivery
Table 8.7 Delivery characteristics:
Table 8.8 Reasons for caesarian section
Table 8.9 Postnatal care
Table 8.9a Timing of postnatal care
Table 8.10 Postnatal care services
Table 8.11 Vaccination by source of information
Table 8.12 Vaccination by background characteristics
Table 8.13 Reasons for non-immunization
Table 8.14 Prevalence of acute respiratory infection
Table 8.15 Diarrhea prevalence
Table 8.16 Knowledge of diarrhea care
Table 8.17 Diarrhea treatment
Table 8.18 Treatment with vitamin A and Iron
Table 9.1 Initial breastfeeding
Table 9.2 Breasfeeding status
Table 9.3 Type of foods received by breastfeeding children in the preceding 24 hours
Table 9.4 Median duration and frequency of breastfeeding
Table 10.1 Dengue fever
Table 10.2 Responsibility of dog owners
Table 10.3 Treatment of dog bites
Table 10.4 Perceived transmission of leprosy
Table 10.5 Curability of leprosy
Table 10.6 Causes of tuberculosis
Table 10.7 Length of TB treatment
Table 10.8 Ways to keep healthy
Table 10.9 Effects of smoking on health
Table 10.10 Signs and symptoms of cancer
Table 10.11 Use of pre-cooked food
Table 10.12 Health care financing membership
Table 10.13 Type of insurance plan
Table 10.14 Familiarity with herbal medicines
Table 10.15 Utilization of health facilities
Table 10.16 Utilization of health facilities by type of service accessed
Table A.1 Sample Implementation
Table B.1 List of variables for sampling errors, Philippines 1998
Table B.1.1 Sampling errors: Entire sample, Philippines, 1998
Table B.1.2 Sampling errors: Urban sample, Philippines, 1998
Table B.1.3 Sampling errors: Rural sample, Philippines, 1998
Table B.1.4 Sampling errors: National Capital Region sample, Philippines, 1998
Table B.1.5 Sampling errors: Cordillera Administrative Region sample, Philippines, 1998
Table B.1.6 Sampling errors: Ilocos sample, Philippines, 1998
Table B.1.7 Sampling errors: Cagayan Valley sample, Philippines, 1998
Table B.1.8 Sampling errors: Central Luzon sample, Philippines, 1998
Table B.1.9 Sampling errors: Southern Tagalog sample, Philippines, 1998
Table B.1.10 Sampling errors: Bicol sample, Philippines, 1998
Table B.1.11 Sampling errors: Western Visayas sample, Philippines, 1998
Table B.1.12 Sampling errors: Central Visayas sample, Philippines, 1998
Table B.1.13 Sampling errors: Eastern Visayas sample, Philippines, 1998
Table B.1.14 Sampling errors: Western Mindanao sample, Philippines, 1998
Table B.1.15 Sampling errors: Northern Mindanao sample, Philippines, 1998
Table B.1.16 Sampling errors: Southern Mindanao sample, Philippines, 1998
Table B.1.17 Sampling errors: Central Mindanao sample, Philippines, 1998
Table B.1.18 Sampling errors: Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao sample, Philippines, 1998
Table B.1.19 Sampling errors: Caraga sample, Philippines, 1998
Table C.1 Household age distribution
Table C.2 Age distribution of eligible and interviewed women
Table C.3 Completeness of reporting
Table C.4 Births by calendar year since birth
Table C.5 Reporting of age at death in days
Table C.6 Reporting of age at death in months |
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SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
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| BACKGROUND
The 1998 Philippines National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) is
a nationally-representative survey of 13,983 women age 15-49. The
NDHS was designed to provide information on levels and trends of fertility,
family planning knowledge and use, infant and child mortality, and maternal
and child health. It was implemented by the National Statistics Office
in collaboration with the Department of Health. Macro International
Inc. of Calverton Maryland provided technical assistance to the project,
while financial assistance was provided by the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID). Fieldwork for the NDHS took place from early
March to early May 1998.
Survey data generally confirm patterns observed in the 1993 National
Demographic Survey (NDS), showing increasing contraceptive use and declining
fertility.
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| FERTILITY
Fertility Decline.
The NDHS data indicate that fertility continues to decline gradually but
steadily. At current levels, women will give birth an average of
3.7 children per woman during their reproductive years, a decline from
the level of 4.1 recorded in the 1993 NDS. A total fertility rate
of 3.7, however, is still considerably higher than the rates prevailing
in neighboring Southeast Asian countries.
Fertility Differentials.
Survey data show that the large differential between urban and rural fertility
levels is widening even further. While the total fertility rate in
urban areas declined by about 15 percent over the last five years (from
3.5 to 3.0), the rate among rural women barely declined at all (from 4.8
to 4.7). Consequently, rural women give birth to almost two children
more than urban women.
Significant differences in fertility levels by region still exist.
For example, fertility is more than twice as high in Eastern Visayas and
Bicol Regions (with total fertility rates well over 5 births per woman)
than in Metro Manila (with a rate of 2.5 births per woman).
Fertility levels are closely related to women's education.
Women with no formal education give birth to an average of 5.0 children
in their lifetime, compared to 2.9 for women with at least some college
education. Women with either elementary or high school education
have intermediate fertility rates.
Family Size Norms.
One reason that fertility has not fallen more rapidly is that women in
the Philippines still want moderately large families. Only one-third
of women say they would ideally like to have one or two children, while
another third state a desire for three children. The remaining third
say they would choose four or more children. Overall, the mean ideal
family size among all women is 3.2 children, identical to the mean found
in 1993.
Unplanned Fertility.
Another reason for the relatively high fertility level is that unplanned
pregnancies are still common in the Philippines. Overall, 45 percent
of births in the three years prior to the survey were reported to be unplanned;
27 percent were mistimed (wanted later) and 18 percent were unwanted.
If unwanted births could be eliminated altogether, the total fertility
rate in the Philippines would be 2.7 births per woman instead of the actual
level of 3.7.
Age at First Birth.
Fertility rates would be even higher if Filipino women did not have a pattern
of late childbearing. The median age at first birth is 23 years in
the Philippines, considerably higher than in most other countries.
Another factor that holds down the overall level of fertility is the fact
that about 9 or 10 percent of women never give birth, higher than the level
of 3-4 percent found in most developing countries.
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| FAMILY PLANNING
Increasing Use of Contraception.
A major cause of declining fertility in the Philippines has been the gradual
but fairly steady increase in contraceptive use over the last three decades.
The contraceptive prevalence rate has tripled since 1968, from 15 to 47
percent of married women. Although contraceptive use has increased since
the 1993 NDS (from 40 to 47 percent of married women), comparison with
the series of nationally representative Family Planning Surveys indicates
that there has been a levelling-off in family planning use in recent years.
Method Mix.
Use of traditional methods of family planning has always accounted for
a relatively high proportion of overall use in the Philippines, and data
from the 1998 NDHS show the proportion holding steady at about 40 percent.
The dominant changes in the “method mix” since 1993 have been an increase
in use of injectables and traditional methods such as calendar rhythm and
withdrawal and a decline in the proportions using female sterilization.
Despite the decline in the latter, female sterilization still is the most
widely used method, followed by the pill.
Differentials in Family
Planning Use. Differentials in current use of family planning
in the 16 administrative regions of the country are large, ranging from
16 percent of married women in ARMM to 55 percent of those in Southern
Mindanao and Central Luzon. Contraceptive use varies considerably
by education of women. Only 15 percent of married women with no formal
education are using a method, compared to half of those with some secondary
school. The urban-rural gap in contraceptive use is moderate (51
vs. 42 percent, respectively).
Knowledge of Contraception.
Knowledge of contraceptive methods and supply sources has been almost universal
in the Philippines for some time and the NDHS results indicate that 99
percent of currently married women age 15-49 have heard of at least one
method of family planning. More than 9 in 10 married women know the
pill, IUD, condom, and female sterilization, while about 8 in 10 have heard
of injectables, male sterilization, rhythm, and withdrawal. Knowledge
of injectables has increased far more than any other method, from 54 percent
of married women in 1993 to 89 percent in 1998.
Unmet Need for Family Planning.
Unmet need for family planning services has declined since 1993.
Data from the 1993 NDS show that 26 percent of currently married women
were in need of services, compared with 20 percent in the 1998 NDHS.
A little under half of the unmet need is comprised of women who want to
space their next birth, while just over half is for women who do not want
any more children (limiters). If all women who say they want to space
or limit their children were to use methods, the contraceptive prevalence
rate could be increased from 47 percent to 70 percent of married women.
Currently, about three-quarters of this "total demand" for family planning
is being met.
Discontinuation Rates.
One challenge for the family planning program is to reduce the high levels
of contraceptive discontinuation. NDHS data indicate that about 40
percent of contraceptive users in the Philippines stop using within 12
months of starting, almost one-third of whom stop because of an unwanted
pregnancy (i.e., contraceptive failure). Discontinuation rates vary
by method. Not surprisingly, the rates for the condom (60 percent),
withdrawal (46 percent), and the pill (44 percent) are considerably higher
than for the IUD (14 percent). However, discontinuation rates for
injectables are relatively high, considering that one dose is usually effective
for three months. Fifty-two percent of injection users discontinue
within one year of starting, a rate that is higher than for the pill.
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| MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH
Childhood Mortality.
Survey results show that although the infant mortality rate remains unchanged,
overall mortality of children under five has declined somewhat in recent
years. Under-five mortality declined from 54 deaths per 1,000 births
in 1988-92 to 48 for the period 1993-97. The infant mortality rate
remained stable at about 35 per 1,000 births.
Childhood Vaccination Coverage.
The 1998 NDHS results show that 73 percent
of children 12-23 months are fully vaccinated by the date of the interview,
almost identical to the level of 72 percent recorded in the 1993 NDS.
When the data are restricted to vaccines received before the child’s first
birthday, however, only 65 percent of children age 12-23 months can be
considered to be fully vaccinated.
Childhood Health.
The NDHS provides some data on childhood illness and treatment. Approximately
one in four-- children under age five had a fever and 13 percent had respiratory
illness in the two weeks before the survey. Of these, 58 percent
were taken to a health facility for treatment. Seven percent of children
under five were reported to have had diarrhea in the two weeks preceeding
the survey. The fact that four-fifths of children with diarrhea received
some type of oral rehydration therapy (fluid made from an ORS packet, recommended
homemade fluid, or increased fluids) is encouraging.
Breastfeeding Practices.
Almost all Filipino babies (88 percent) are breastfed for some time,
with- a median duration of breastfeeding of 13 months. Although breastfeeding
has beneficial effects on both the child and the mother, NDHS data indicate
that supplementation of breastfeeding with other liquids and foods occurs
too early in the Philippines. For example, among newborns less than
two months of age, 19 percent were already receiving supplemental foods
or liquids other than water.
Maternal Health Care.
NDHS data point to several areas regarding maternal health care in which
improvements could be made. Although most Filipino mothers (86 percent)
receive prenatal care from a doctor, nurse, or midwife, tetanus toxoid
coverage is far from universal and has been declining somewhat. The
proportion of recent births for which the mother reported receiving two
or more tetanus toxoid vaccinations during pregnancy declined from 42 in
1993 to 38 percent. Moreover, two-thirds of births in the Philippines
are delivered at home; consequently only 56 percent receive asistance at
delivery from a doctor, nurse, or midwife and 41 percent are assisted
by traditional birth attendants. Proper medical attention during
pregnancy and hygienic conditions during delivery can reduce the risk of
complications and infections that can cause death or serious illness for
either the mother or the newborn. Somewhat more encouraging is the
fact that for 75 percent of recent births, mothers reported having received
iron tablets during pregnancy and in 57 percent of cases, they received
iodine tablets during pregnancy. Maternal mortality has remained
low at approximately 200 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.
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| HOUSEHOLD HEALTH ISSUES
Health Care Financing.
NDHS data indicate that in 40 percent of households, at least one member
of the household belongs to a health care financing scheme or an insurance
plan. Over 90 percent of such households belong to Medicare.
Knowledge of Herbal Medicines.
The Department of Health has endorsed 10 herbal medicines as being scientifically
proven effective for treatment of specific illnesses and conditions.
NDHS data show that although awareness of some of these herbs is widespread,
knowledge about the specific uses of the herbs is quite limited.
For example, although 81 percent of household respondents recognized ampalaya,
only one in 20 know that it is useful in treating diabetes and only 6 percent
of the 75 percent of respondents who are familiar with sambong correctly
said that it is used as a diuretic. However, knowledge of bayabas
is high; 97 percent of household respondents had heard of it and 81 percent
know that it is used to clean wounds.
Knowledge of Healthy Lifestyle.
NDHS data indicate quite high general awareness
regarding health issues. For example, most household respondents
say that they watch their nutrition or exercise to stay healthy.
Similarly, a majority of household respondents are aware that smoking causes
lung diseases such as cancer. Over 90 percent of respondents have
heard of dengue fever and two-thirds of them say that dengue can
be prevented by destroying the breeding sites of mosquitos. However,
misconceptions about leprosy and tuberculosis abound, with 21 percent of
respondents knowing that leprosy is transmitted by skin and 11 percent
by airborne droplets, and only one in six respondents knowing that tuberculosis
is caused by a germ or bacteria.
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