The Effect of Contraceptive Knowledge on Fertility: the Roles of Mass Media and Social Networks

Presenter: Kai-Wen Cheng, Cornell University

Abstract

This study explores the effect of contraceptive knowledge on fertility using an instrumental variables approach. It draws upon the “Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice of Contraception in Taiwan” (KAP) dataset and focuses on the period when Taiwanese family planning programs were in effect. This study differs from previous studies examining the effectiveness of family planning programs on fertility by focusing on individuals’ obtained contraceptive knowledge and fertility behaviors. The results indicate that mass media and social networks play important roles in disseminating contraceptive knowledge. Women who are regularly exposed to mass media, or who have a wider social network, have more knowledge about contraceptives than their counterparts. This study finds that women transform their knowledge into behavior--that is, contraceptive knowledge reduces fertility, no matter which fertility metric is measured (life-time fertility or probability of giving birth). Since very few studies focus on the relationship between contraceptive knowledge and fertility, by exploring this relationship, this paper contributes to an improved understanding of how the individuals obtain the disseminated knowledge; how socioeconomic characteristics, mass media exposure, and social network influence the forming of knowledge; and whether the obtained knowledge is transformed into new behaviors.