Learning and reproductive health: Do early cognitive skills contribute to better sexual and reproductive health outcomes among adolescents in Ethiopia?

Background: Understanding the relationship between early learning and later fertility preferences and knowledge could yield important lessons for public policy in both the education and health sectors. Methods: With data from the Young Lives study in Ethiopia, we use linear regression models to evaluate how reading and numeracy skills during middle childhood (age 8) and early adolescence (age 12) affect sexual and reproductive health (SRH) knowledge and desired fertility during middle adolescence (age 15). Additionally, we analyze whether learning trajectories are associated with these outcomes, and we test gender differences for all analyses. Results: We find that better skills in numeracy are most consistently associated with higher SRH knowledge. Reading skills are most consistently associated with wanting fewer children and, to a lesser degree, wanting a first child at a later age. We also find that learning trajectories matter, particularly for better SRH knowledge and wanting fewer children. Conclusions: These findings suggest that learning indicators, specifically literacy and numeracy, are possible antecedents on pathways between education and improved SRH outcomes. Contribution: Overall, our study provides critical new evidence showing that children’s early learning experiences may influence their fertility preferences and SRH knowledge during adolescence.