Abstract:
Background: The question of whether food insecurity leads to low fertility desire or whether
high fertility desire is the result of poverty driving food insecurity is unanswered from the
existing body of literature. The objective of this study was to assess the household food
insecurity and fertility desire of women’s in Sodo zuria Woreda.
Methods: This study was conducted from March 15-30, 2014 in Sodo Zuria Woreda, which is
located in SNNPR, at the center of Wolaita Zone. Community based Cross sectional study was
used. Trained 10 data collectors had collected data from 651 married women in reproductive
age group. An interviewer-administered structured questionnaire used to collect data on
background information, food security status and factors associated with fertility desire. Women
who reported that they sterilized and declared infecund excluded from the study. The data
template format was prepared in Epi Data version 3.1 and the data entered using double data
entry clerks. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.
Results: The study showed that from 651 currently married women in reproductive age group,
the majority 381(58.5%) had desire for additional children and 270 (41.5%) had no desire or
had desire to limit child bearing. This study showed that the odds of women in food insecure
households had 2 times higher desire for additional children for adjusted and 95% CI[1.314,
2.49] compared to those women in food secure households. Factors contributing to higher desire
for additional children for currently married women in Sodo Zuria Woreda were husband
occupation, age of women, household food security, media exposure, number of children living,
sex composition of living children, sex preference and husband desire for additional children.
Conclusions and recommendations: The desire for additional children was high for women in
Sodo Zuria woreda, particularly among women in food insecure households, women with
husband who desire for additional children and those who have small family size. The strong
change of couples’ fertility behavior via encouragement of partner involvement on family
planning service, inter-spousal communication and developing decision-making ability of
women for fertility behavior is fundamental if the desire for additional children of women in
Sodo Zuria Woreda has to decrease.
