Mediation Analysis on Perceptions and Behaviors on Early Fertility among Indigenous Young Women in Guatemala

Proceedings of The 3rd International Conference on Gender Studies and Sexuality

Year: 2023

DOI:

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Mediation Analysis on Perceptions and Behaviors on Early Fertility among Indigenous Young Women in Guatemala

Shiho Hansen

ABSTRACT: 

This study investigated the mechanisms linking socioeconomic status (SES), attitudes and sexual behaviors and early fertility among young indigenous women in Guatemala. Data of women aged 20-24 (N=4,826) were obtained from the Guatemalan Demographic Health Survey 2014– 2015. Pairwise comparisons were conducted to examine characteristic differences among four groups; non-indigenous women living in urban area (UN), indigenous women in urban area (UI), non-indigenous women in rural area (RN) and indigenous women in rural area (RI). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis was conducted among UI, RN and RI to test the associations between SES variables, mediators (preventative perceptions and behaviors) and an outcome (early fertility). Both pairwise comparison and PLS-SEM showed geographic factor had stronger associations than ethnicity, especially attitudes toward violence against women and early fertility. Of three groups early fertility in RI was both directly and indirectly associated with the biggest number of variables: media exposure as an exogenous variable in addition to education, and knowledge on pregnancy prevention and actual contraceptive use as mediating variables in addition to sexual behaviors. Perception toward contraceptive use was a competitive mediator in all three groups, where the positive association between SES and reducing sexual behavior could be suppressed by perception toward contraceptive use. Further discussion on elaboration of variables that measure the relationship between knowledge, intention and behavior were suggested.

keywords: Adolescent, Contraceptive Use, PLS-SEM, Rural-Urban Disparity, Sexual Behaviors