Data from a survey conducted in Belize in 1991 show
differentials in the use of maternal and child health and family
planning services by the various ethnic groups found in Belize.
These groups differ from one to the other with regard to place of
residence, educational attainment, religious affiliation,
socioeconomic status, country of birth, principal language spoken
in the household, and parity. The purpose of our analysis is to
determine whether ethnic group differentials in the use of health
services really exist or are artifacts of the characteristics of
these groups. Our hypothesis is that, although Belizeans have
diverse cultural backgrounds, ethnicity will not be a strong
determinant in the use of health care services, after controlling
for other relevant characteristics. In addition to presenting
cross-tabulations and frequencies, logistic regression will be
used to estimate multivariate models of the probabilities that
women use specific health services. It is our hypothesis that
when other background variables are controlled for, the
coefficients on the ethnic variables will not be significant.
Health services to be considered include postpartum, newborn, and
family planning services. Place of delivery of last live birth
will also be examined.