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No. 138, 2000 Amin, Sajeda, Alaka Malwade Basu, and Rob Stephenson. "Spatial variation in contraceptive use in Bangladesh: Looking beyond the borders," Policy Research Division Working Paper no. 138. New York: Population Council. (PDF) Abstract In this paper, an analysis is made of spatial patterns of contraceptive use in Bangladesh and the contiguous state of West Bengal in India in order to promote a more complete understanding of social change. Earlier analysis found strong evidence of higher contraceptive prevalence in districts of Bangladesh that border Bengali-speaking districts of India. Moreover, analysis of past fertility decline in Europe revealed that shared language played a critical role. Using multilevel analysis to control for variations in individual- and household-level correlates and mapping districts that deviate considerably from their regional averages, the present analysis highlights an important role for cross-border influences only in districts that share the same language across the border. Both in Bangladesh and in West Bengal, the districts that are positive outliers in contraceptive use hug the Bangladesh–West Bengal border. Maps show that the positive outliers disregard international borders and form a contiguous band in a manner that suggests a common-cause explanation of fertility decline. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
