Husband-wife survey responses in Malawi

Previous efforts by demographers to describe and explain spousal difference s in reporting about family planning behavior have focused on individual at tributes that are assumed to be related to the practice of contraception. T his study extends that research by documenting spousal disagreement on a ra nge of issues-household items, livestock, children, and spousal communicati on about fertility, family planning, and AIDS. Using data from a 1998 study of 585 monogamous couples in rural Malawi, the analysis identifies a syste matic gender component to reporting: For many of the survey questions consi dered, when spouses disagree, husbands are more likely to say "yes" and wiv es "no." The findings are interpreted in terms of gendered strategies in th e interview process.