Journal Articles
Search our database of 1000's of peer-reviewed journal articles that feature DHS data.
Featured Studies
Featured research topics go beyond a single research paper and often include multiple publications and user-friendly summaries and dissemination materials.
The DHS Fellows Program
Researchers in DHS countries work with DHS analysts to design, analyze, and write a publishable paper.
DHS Analysis Blogs
Read more about our recent research, innovative methods, and success stories.
Research and Further Analysis
The DHS Program's in-house Research and Analysis team conducts rigorous, timely, and innovative mixed-methods research on topics related to global public health, demography, and social epidemiology. Our team also trains, mentors, and closely collaborates with fellow researchers and stakeholders who are driven to utilize DHS Program surveys and other survey data to inform programs and policies in various countries and contexts.
Visit the publications search for a full list of publications. Also, go to the journal articles search for a full list of published journal artilcles that feature The DHS Program data.
DHS Research Reports
Sep 2018
Gaps in Service Utilization and Service Provision: An Analysis of DHS and SPA Malaria Data from Malawi, Senegal, and TanzaniaAnalytical studies emphasize policy and program-relevant themes and research questions.
Topics: Malaria
Sep 2018
Thermal Care and Umbilical Cord Care Practices and Their Association with Newborn MortalityAlthough child mortality has decreased considerably in the last several decades, newborn mortality has declined less substantially and its share of all under-5 mortality consequently has grown.
Topics: Child Health and Development, Infant and Child Mortality
Sep 2018
Methods to Estimate Under-15 Fertility Using Demographic and Health Surveys DataEarly childbearing carries serious risks to the health of both the child and the mother.
Topics: Fertility and Fertility Preferences, Youth
Sep 2018
The Effect of Interviewer Characteristics on Data Quality in DHS SurveysAs part of a continuous effort to maintain and improve the quality of data in DHS surveys, this report examines whether variation in 25 indicators of data quality, in 15 recent DHS surveys, can be attributed to interviewers and their characteristics.
Topics: Household and Respondent Characteristics, Infant and Child Mortality
Sep 2018
Consistency of Reporting of Terminated Pregnancies in DHS CalendarsThis study examines the consistency of reporting of terminated pregnancies in DHS reproductive calendars.
Topics: Family Planning, Fertility and Fertility Preferences
Sep 2018
Potential Implications of the Ghana and Nepal Follow-Up Studies for DHS Questionnaires and Fieldwork ProceduresRecent follow-up mixed-methods studies undertaken by The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program in Ghana and Nepal sought to better understand the reasons behind unmet need and barriers to contraceptive use.
Topics: Family Planning, Fertility and Fertility Preferences, Gender, Maternal Health
Aug 2018
Effective Coverage of Facility Delivery in Bangladesh, Haiti, Malawi, Nepal, Senegal, and TanzaniaThis report uses data from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Service Provision Assessments (SPA) to estimate effective coverage of health facility delivery in Bangladesh, Haiti, Malawi, Nepal, Senegal, and Tanzania—the six countries with both an SPA and a DHS survey occurring within two years of each other.
Topics: Geographic Information, Maternal Health
Aug 2018
The Association of Deforestation and Other Environmental Factors with Child Health and MortalityThis report uses data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted in 12 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean to study the associations between environmental variables and child health outcomes, including child mortality.
Topics: Anemia, Child Health and Development, Geographic Information, Infant and Child Mortality, Malaria, Nutrition
Aug 2018
Absolute Poverty, Fertility Preferences, and Family Planning Use in FP2020 Focus CountriesBroad gains in contraceptive access and use have been made in low-income countries over the past decade while poverty has declined, but the trends have been uneven.
Topics: Family Planning, Fertility and Fertility Preferences, Wealth/Socioeconomics
Jul 2018
A Primer on The Demographic and Health Surveys Program Spatial Covariate Data and Their ApplicationsThe Demographic and Health Surveys Program geospatial team has prepared a set of geospatial covariates datasets that provide researchers and analysts with powerful demographic, environmental, and geophysical variables to include in their analysis of DHS survey data.
Topics: Geographic Information