What is Population Research?
Population research is a scientific inquiry to understand the population dynamics of a population’s size, structure, growth, distribution, and dispersal.
In contrast, family planning research inquires about contraception, side effects, follow-up, etc.
Reproductive health encompasses maternal, adolescent, antenatal, postnatal, and delivery care. Child health includes, among others, nutrition, growth monitoring, breastfeeding, immunization, diarrhoeal diseases, etc.
Examples of Population Research
Example #1: (Population dynamics)
Kabir et al. (1997), utilizing the data from various sources, examined the prospect of stabilization of the Bangladesh population under alternative demographic scenarios.
They further discussed opportunities for achieving zero population growth vis a vis NRR=1 by the end of 2010. Their findings concluded that if the fertility target could be completed as envisaged, the Bangladesh population would be more or less stable by 2050.
Example #2: (Population/Demography)
While substantial fertility decline has started to take place in other countries of the South Asian region, Bangladesh has shown only a slight decrease in the prevailing high fertility rates.
Several demographers, economists, and sociologists have emphasized the role of demand for children as an essential source of change in the reproductive behavior of individuals (Bulatao, 1981; Pullum, 1983; Bulatao and Lee, 1983; Pritchett, 1994).
In Bangladesh, many social scientists believe that the demand for children is still high, which keeps fertility levels high; couples prefer to have more children.
It is thus imperative to have an insight into the fertility preferences maintained by the people that are considered to have an essential bearing on fertility outcomes and contraceptive use behavior.
Example #3: (Family Planning)
Duston and Miller (1995) initiated research to ascertain how to improve community-based family planning services and the potential for increasing contraceptive prevalence in Bangladesh.
The study’s specific objectives were to investigate the degree to which improved service delivery in Bangladesh can increase contraceptive use given the present status of demand and programmatic factors most associated with increased prevalence and make these projects viable and more widely known.
The National Institute of Population Research and Training (NIPORT), under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt of Bangladesh, contacts some studies encompassing health, nutrition, family planning, and reproductive health.
In a recent search for priority research, NIPORT identified a few areas and prepared a list to execute the studies in 2017-18.
How does population research differ from family planning research?
While population research focuses on understanding population dynamics, family planning research specifically inquires about topics like contraception, side effects, follow-up, and other related aspects.
