Educational attainment and the spacing between births among women in Kenya: An economic perspective from the 2022 KDHS dataset

Maureen Lusiche Tuvei; Cyrus Mboleya Muhanga; Faith Wanja Kilaku; Victor Malimu

doi:10.51867/AQSSR.2.4.62

Authors

Maureen Lusiche Tuvei Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya Author https://orcid.org/0009-0008-9421-2720
Cyrus Mboleya Muhanga Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya Author
Faith Wanja Kilaku Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5103-8741
Victor Malimu Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3210-2568

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51867/AQSSR.2.4.62

Keywords:

Birth Spacing, Demographic Dividend, Educational Attainment, KDHS 2022

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of education on birth spacing among Kenyan women using the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS). The study was anchored on the Human Capital Theory (HCT). A cross-sectional design was adopted, where information was analyzed for 32,156 women aged 15–49 years in 42,022 households. Analytical methods included univariate statistics, bivariate (correlations), and multivariate statistics (generalized ordered logistic regression), controlling for variables such as age, wealth, contraceptive use, residence, employment status, and marital status. Univariate results indicate that the average level of education is 8.7 (SD=4.35) and a broad range of desired waiting times, with 24.37% reporting six or more years. Bivariate findings indicate a slight positive correlation between desired spacing and education (r=0.147, p<.001), whereas multivariate results confirm education's effect, but only mediated by age and union membership. The generalized ordered logit indicates that higher education levels significantly increase the odds of desiring longer birth intervals, ranging from 1.081 (<12 months, p<.001) to 1.011 (5 years, p=0.09) in unadjusted models, though they become somewhat less strong after controlling (ORs 1.034 to 0.968). The study stresses economic and health benefits from wider spacing, demanding greater investment in education for women to cater to demographic dividends, child and maternal health, and Vision 2030 for development in Kenya.

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