Our study purpose is to assess data quality of self-reported current use of the Lactational
Amenorrhea Method (LAM) in the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). LAM, an important contraceptive method during the postpartum period, is a modern contraceptive with an effectiveness rate of 98% for the six month postpartum period when used correctly. Our study’s specific objectives are: 1) to examine accuracy of self-reported LAM use compared to the
constructed correct practice variable, and 2) to explore differentials in accuracy measures by characteristics at the individual-level and survey-level by analyzing data from 73 DHS conducted in 45 countries since 1998. Findings reveal that on average only 26% of reported LAM users met criteria of correct LAM practice across the surveys, indicating potentially unacceptably low user effectiveness at the population level.