Sources of Family Size Attitudes and Family Planning Knowledge Among Rural Turkish Youth

Family planning programs in developing countries may have unexpected and long-term impact on youth in terms of their own later fertility behavior. This paper presents data indicating the effect of an adult-oriented family planning program on the family size attitudes and fertility-related knowledge of rural Turkish youth. Unmarried males and females living in villages exposed to different levels of family planning activities, as well as those in a control area, were sampled. A multivariate approach to the analysis was used to control for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and for certain psychological variables. Females desire fewer children than males and know more about contraception, particularly the IUD. The hypothesis of indirect learning as a result of the adult-oriented family planning program, is confirmed for females, but not for males. The findings have implications for both program planning and for a more accurate measurement of the impact of family planning programs.