Analysis of the effects of fertility on maternal health status in Namibia

Abstract

The study investigates the impact of fertility on maternal health in Namibia, utilizing data from the 2013 Namibia Demographic and Health Survey. First, a Zero-Inflated Poisson model is applied to analyze how socio-economic factors affect fertility. Second, a Linear Probability Model is utilized to assess the correlation between fertility and maternal health status. To address potential endogeneity in the fertility variable within the maternal health model, instrumental variable methods are employed, specifically, Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS) and a Heteroscedasticity-based Instrumental Variable Approach. Contraceptive usage is utilized as an instrumental variable for fertility in the 2SLS, and the Heteroscedasticity-based Instrumental Approach is used for robustness checks. The findings indicate that factors such as mother's age, marital status, household size, and contraceptive usage are positively linked to fertility. Conversely, urban residency, education, and radio listenership exhibit negative associations with fertility. Regarding maternal health status, the results suggest that higher fertility elevates women's body mass index and decreases the likelihood of being underweight.
The study recommends investing in maternal education and promoting family planning awareness programs in Namibia.