Factors influencing male fertility in Uganda

Abstract

Male fertility is an important component of population research. Against this backdrop, this paper aims to examine the factors explaining male fertility changes in Uganda. The authors applied the own-children method, as described by Schoumaker, to understand the prevailing male total fertility rate trends and to select datasets for inclusion during the multivariate analysis, using the Uganda demographic health surveys conducted from 2006 to 2016. A multivariable Poisson decomposition regression model was used to examine factors associated with male fertility changes. This model analyzed data from the 2006 and 2016 surveys only and included a total sample size of 7839 male respondents. The outcome variable for the regression model was children ever born (CEB). The regression model showed that differences related to changes in the proportional composition of characteristics contributed 113% to the change in CEB, compared with the differences due to reproductive behavior, with other factors being kept constant. The most important proportional changes that led to meaningful variability in CEB were observed among the following characteristics: occupation, number of current wives, total number of lifetime partners, type of residence, education, and age at first childbirth. Thus, interventions to delay the formation of cohabitation and marriage unions and the onset of childbirth or fatherhood among adolescents and young men below the age of 25 should be prioritized as potent fertility regulation measures. In addition, the focus on eliminating the lack of education and primary education as the highest levels attained among boys and men should be prioritized to boost a rapid male fertility transition in Uganda.