Laboratory

Fertility and Well-Being

At a Glance Projects Publications Team

Project

Macro Determinants of Sexual and Reproductive Health Inequalities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (Dissertation)

Katherine Priscila Del Salto Calderon, Joshua Wilde, Regien Biesma (University Medical Center Utrecht, Netherlands), Oscar Franco Duran (University Medical Center Utrecht, Netherlands)

Detailed Description

The association between socioeconomic inequality and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes and fertility patterns has been extensively studied. Despite progress, significant inequalities in SRH service utilization and outcomes persist between and within countries, particularly in the Global South. Progress is notably slow for diverse health needs, such as contraceptive access, access to safe abortion, and teenage pregnancy, with key subgroups, such as ethnic minorities, rural populations, people from lower socioeconomic groups, migrants, and youth, facing increased barriers to care.

This PhD project explores the impact of macro-level factors on these inequalities in SRH outcomes in countries of the Global South. The research focuses on determinants such as legal and policy choices, climate change, and violence, particularly in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region. The research builds on the extensive literature on social determinants of health (SDH) and is guided by the principles of reproductive justice to identify the potential mechanisms behind such inequalities.

The project uses varied data sources such as the Demographic Health Surveys. Moreover, the project complements traditional demographic data sources with digital trace data in order to assess their appropriateness for improving sexual and reproductive health measures.