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
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
Aug 2017
Sexual and Reproductive Health in Early and Later Adolescence: DHS Data on Youth Age 10-19Adolescence is a period of transition from childhood to adulthood when many behaviors and events set the stage for adult health.
Topics: Domestic Violence, Family Planning, Fertility and Fertility Preferences, Gender, Youth
Aug 2017
Comparisons of DHS Estimates of Fertility and Mortality with Other EstimatesDHS surveys provide many indicators that are used for program planning and monitoring.
Topics: Fertility and Fertility Preferences, Infant and Child Mortality, Maternal Mortality
Aug 2017
Trends, Determinants, and Dynamics of Traditional Contraceptive Method UseMillions of women worldwide use a traditional method of family planning for fertility regulation.
Topics: Family Planning, Fertility and Fertility Preferences
Aug 2016
Marriage and Fertility Dynamics: The Influence of Marriage Age on the Timing of First Birth and Birth SpacingIn a context of rising marriage age for women and a compression of first birth intervals, this study uses survival analysis, hazard models, and multivariate decomposition techniques to investigate the influence of marriage age on the first birth interval over time, and the implications of both marriage age and first birth interval on the second birth interval.
Topics: Family Planning, Fertility and Fertility Preferences, Youth
Aug 2016
Long Term Trajectories of Fertility and Contraceptive UseDHS estimates of current fertility and contraceptive use have immediate interest after the release of each survey.
Topics: Family Planning, Fertility and Fertility Preferences
Jan 2016
Understanding Unmet Need in Ghana: Results from a Follow-up Study to the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health SurveyUnmet need, a central concept in family planning research and a key indicator for programmatic interventions, is a composite measure based on apparent contradictions between women’s reproductive intentions and non-use of family planning.
Topics: Family Planning, Fertility and Fertility Preferences
Sep 2015
Contraception Needed to Avoid High-Fertility-Risk Births, and Maternal and Child Deaths That Would Be AvertedThis report estimates the number of maternal and child deaths that could be averted by satisfying the unmet need for contraception based on four high-risk fertility behavior categories, i.
Topics: Family Planning, Fertility and Fertility Preferences, Infant and Child Mortality, Maternal Mortality
Sep 2015
Uptake and Discontinuation of Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARCs) in Low-Income CountriesLong-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods—intrauterine devices (IUDs), implants, and injectables—together comprise a growing share of contraceptive use in low- income countries.
Topics: Family Planning, Fertility and Fertility Preferences
Sep 2015
Contraceptive Use and Perinatal Mortality in the DHS: An Assessment of the Quality and Consistency of Calendars and HistoriesThis study analyzes the quality of perinatal mortality and retrospective contraceptive prevalence rates calculated from various instruments used in the Demographic and Health Surveys.
Topics: Family Planning, Fertility and Fertility Preferences