Reproductive health management and female welfare concerns

Study spanning 1978 to 2012 tracked 1,820 women born between 1938 and 1973, revealing that a family planning program initiated in 1977 in Bangladesh influenced reproductive habits and fertility rate substantially, but showed minimal impacts on long-term health and economic conditions for those...

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2025 September 14 . 11:08 PM

1 min read

Reproductive health management and female welfare concerns

A study published in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has shed light on the long-term effects of a family planning program established in 1977 in Bangladesh. The study, titled "Thirty-five years later: Long-term effects of the Matlab maternal and child health/family planning program on older women's well-being," was conducted over a period of approximately 35 years, from 1978 to 2012.

The research, authored by Tania Barham and colleagues, focused on 1,820 women born between 1938 and 1973. The study revealed significant differences in lifetime contraceptive behaviour and fertility among the participants, due to the family planning program.

Interestingly, women who participated in the program and were born between 1950 and 1961 experienced a significant increase in body mass index in 1996 and 2012, compared with those who did not participate. However, the study found that the family planning program had few effects on later health and economic outcomes for the study participants.

For more information about the study, you can contact Randall Kuhn of the University of California, Los Angeles at 303-928-9111 or [email address redacted]. Alternatively, you can reach out to Jane Menken of the University of Colorado Boulder at 303-818-9682 or [email address redacted].

The family planning program in question was a maternal and child health initiative, and the study aimed to understand its long-term impact on the well-being of older women. Despite extensive research, no search results were available that identified the researchers involved in the 35-year study on the long-term effects of the Matlab mother and child health/family planning program on the well-being of older women.

The study's findings provide valuable insights into the long-term effects of family planning programs and highlight the importance of continued research in this area.