National Demographic Survey 1993

The 1993 National Demographic Survey (NDS) is a nationally representative sample survey of women age 15-49 designed to collect information on fertility; family planning; infant, child and maternal mortality; and maternal and child health. The survey was conducted between April and June 1993. The 1993 NDS was carried out by the National Statistics Office in collaboration with the Department of Health, the University of the Philippines Population Institute, and other agencies concerned with population, health and family planning issues. Funding for the 1993 NDS was provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development through the Demographic and Health Surveys Program.

Close to 13,000 households throughout the country were visited during the survey and more than 15,000 women age 15-49 were interviewed. The results show that fertility in the Philippines continues its gradual decline. At current levels, Filipino women will give birth on average to 4.1 children during their reproductive years, 0.2 children less than that recorded in 1988. However, the total fertility rate in the Philippines remains high in comparison to the level achieved in the neighboring Southeast Asian countries.

The primary objective of the 1993 NDS is to provide up-to-date inform ation on fertility and mortality levels; nuptiality; fertility preferences; awareness, approval, and use of family planning methods; breastfeeding practices; and maternal and child health. This information is intended to assist policymakers and administrators in evaluating and designing programs and strategies for improving health and family planning services in 'the country.

MAIN RESULTS

Fertility varies significantly by region and socioeconomic characteristics. Urban women have on average 1.3 children less than rural women, and uneducated women have one child more than women with college education. Women in Bicol have on average 3 more children than women living in Metropolitan Manila.

Virtually all women know of a family planning method; the pill, female sterilization, IUD and condom are known to over 90 percent of women. Four in 10 married women are currently using contraception. The most popular method is female sterilization ( 12 percent), followed by the piU (9 percent), and natural family planning and withdrawal, both used by 7 percent of married women.

Contraceptive use is highest in Northern Mindanao, Central Visayas and Southern Mindanao, in urban areas, and among women with higher than secondary education. The contraceptive prevalence rate in the Philippines is markedly lower than in the neighboring Southeast Asian countries; the percentage of married women who were using family planning in Thailand was 66 percent in 1987, and 50 percent in Indonesia in 199l.

The majority of contraceptive users obtain their methods from a public service provider (70 percent). Government health facilities mainly provide permanent methods, while barangay health stations or health centers are the main sources for the pill, IUD and condom.

Although Filipino women already marry at a relatively higher age, they continue to delay the age at which they first married. Half of Filipino women marry at age 21.6. Most women have their first sexual intercourse after marriage.

Half of married women say that they want no more children, and 12 percent have been sterilized. An additional 19 percent want to wait at least two years before having another child. Almost two thirds of women in the Philippines express a preference for having 3 or less children. Results from the survey indicate that if all unwanted births were avoided, the total fertility rate would be 2.9 children, which is almost 30 percent less than the observed rate,

More than one quarter of married women in the Philippines are not using any contraceptive method, but want to delay their next birth for two years or more (12 percent), or want to stop childbearing (14 percent). If the potential demand for family planning is satisfied, the contraceptive prevalence rate could increase to 69 percent. The demand for stopping childbearing is about twice the level for spacing (45 and 23 percent, respectively).

Information on various aspects of maternal and child health---antenatal care, vaccination, breastfeeding and food supplementation, and illness was collected in the 1993 NDS on births in the five years preceding the survey. The findings show that 8 in 10 children under five were bom to mothers who received antenatal care from either midwives or nurses (45 percent) or doctors (38 percent). Delivery by a medical personnel is received by more than half of children born in the five years preceding the survey. However, the majority of deliveries occurred at home.

Tetanus, a leading cause of infant deaths, can be prevented by immunization of the mother during pregnancy. In the Philippines, two thirds of bitlhs in the five years preceding the survey were to mothers who received a tetanus toxoid injection during pregnancy.

Based on reports of mothers and information obtained from health cards, 90 percent of children aged 12-23 months have received shots of the BCG as well as the first doses of DPT and polio, and 81 percent have received immunization from measles. Immunization coverage declines with doses; the drop out rate is 3 to 5 percent for children receiving the full dose series of DPT and polio. Overall, 7 in 10 children age 12-23 months have received immunization against the six principal childhood diseases---polio, diphtheria, ~rtussis, tetanus, measles and tuberculosis.

During the two weeks preceding the survey, 1 in 10 children under 5 had diarrhea. Four in ten of these children were not treated. Among those who were treated, 27 percent were given oral rehydration salts, 36 percent were given recommended home solution or increased fluids.

Breasffeeding is less common in the Philippines than in many other developing countries. Overall, a total of 13 percent of children born in the 5 years preceding the survey were not breastfed at all. On the other hand, bottle feeding, a widely discouraged practice, is relatively common in the Philippines. Children are weaned at an early age; one in four children age 2-3 months were exclusively breastfed, and the mean duration of breastfeeding is less than 3 months.

Infant and child mortality in the Philippines have declined significantly in the past two decades. For every 1,000 live births, 34 infants died before their first birthday. Childhood mortality varies significantly by mother's residence and education. The mortality of urban infants is about 40 percent lower than that of rural infants. The probability of dying among infants whose mother had no formal schooling is twice as high as infants whose mother have secondary or higher education. Children of mothers who are too young or too old when they give birth, have too many prior births, or give birth at short intervals have an elevated mortality risk. Mortality risk is highest for children born to mothers under age 19.

The 1993 NDS also collected information necessary for the calculation of adult and maternal mortality using the sisterhood method. For both males and females, at all ages, male mortality is higher than that of females. Matemal mortality ratio for the 1980-1986 is estimated at 213 per 100,000 births, and for the 1987-1993 period 209 per 100,000 births. However, due to the small number of sibling deaths reported in the survey, age-specific rates should be used with caution.

Information on health and family planning services available to the residents of the 1993 NDS barangay was collected from a group of respondents in each location. Distance and time to reach a family planning service provider has insignificant association with whether a woman uses contraception or the choice of contraception being used. On the other hand, being close to a hospital increases the likelihood that antenatal care and births are to respondents who receive ANC and are delivered by a medical personnel or delivered in a health facility.