The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #36242

Rob Stephenson, BSc, MSc, PhD, Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina, University Square, CB#8120, 123 West Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, 919 843 4445, Rob_Stephenson@unc.edu, A.O Tsui, BSc, MSc, PhD, Population and Family Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, W4503, Baltimore, MD 21205-2179, and Rod Knight, BS, MA, PhD, Principia International, Inc., 3616 Moonlight Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27516.

The paper describes the development of two indices of family planning sustainability, the family planning program sustainability index (PSI) and the outcome sustainability index (OSI). The PSI measures the sustainability of access to contraception within a country, whilst the OSI measures the sustainability of a country's fertility transition. The analysis uses country-level data from 55 countries to examine the appropriateness of these indices as measure of family planning sustainability. The paper describes the components of each of the indices and the modeling techniques used to create the indices. The values of the indices are contrasted with measures of actual contraceptive access and fertility in each country. The indices succeed in identifying the directional path of program and outcome sustainability, so that the paper also examines their use for informing funding decisions. Close relationships are found between PSI and OSI predicted values and actual program and outcome values. The indices provide a repeatable method for measuring sustainability and provide a potential policy tool for informing decisions on the funding of national family planning programs. However, the indices should be used together with other data sources to provide a more complete view of family planning sustainability.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to list the key components of indices of family planning sustainability and apply these indices to an assessment of the sustainability of national family planning programs.

Keywords: Family Planning, Sustainability

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.