4. CASE STUDY: HONDURAS
4.4 Findings
In this section, I will show some tables divided by departments on the following data:
• Type of birth by department.
• Studies done by the mother by department.
• Studies done by the father by department.
• Literacy of the mother and father by department.
All of the information for this analysis was extracted from the “Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)” translated to English by the researcher as the Honduran National Institute of Statistics. The data used by the institution for the creation of these tables is from the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and is from the year 2015.
Type of birth by department:
In the following tables we can observe a clear description of the type of births registered by department in Honduras during the year 2015. After the 18 tables each representing one Honduran department a summary table containing a recompilation of all the data from the 18 departments can be found.
Table 4.6 Type of birth of the children born in 2015 in 18 departments of Honduras Department
01 Atlántida Department
02 Colón
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09 Gracias A Dios Department
10 Intibucá
Islas de la Bahía Department
12
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13 Lempira Department
14 Ocotepeque
15 Olancho Department
16 Santa Bárbara
As an analysis from the previous tables we can observe that the most common type of birth in the 18 departments is vaginal or natural birth with 126,483 cases or 77.74% of the total births. On the other hand, the type: Cesarean Section during the year 2015 resulted in a total of 30,256 cases or
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18.6%. Considering the difference in prices for attending a vaginal birth compared to performing a cesarean section these results were to be expected. Especially, considering Honduras economic performance. There is no department recorded where a cesarean section equaled or outnumbered a vaginal birth.
The department that had the lowest recorded data for a vaginal birth is department number 01, Atlántida with 4009 cases which equals 59.25% versus a total of 1515 cesarean section cases which equaled 22.39%. Atlántida is a department created on February 24, 1902. Its departmental header is “La Ceiba”, its population for 2015 was of 449,822 habitants. It has 8 municipalities and 224 villages.
The department with the highest number of recorded data of case for vaginal birth was department number 07 “El Paraíso”, with 5,766 vaginal birth recorded cases which represents 87.84% of the total recorded births, compared to 614 cases of cesarean section which represents just 9.35% of the total recorded births. The department of El Paraíso was created on May 28, 1869. Its departmental header is “Yuscaran”, its population for 2015 was of 465,864 habitants. It has 19 municipalities and 233 villages. El Paraíso, is one of the poorest departments in Honduras, therefore, making it even harder for some women to be able to afford a cesarean section.
Department number 9: Gracias a Dios, is the department that recorded the lowest numbers of cesarean sections, with only 21recorded cases, representing just 5.37% of the total births in this department.The department of Gracias a Dios was created on February 21, 1957. Its departmental header is “Puerto Lempira”, its population for 2015 was of 96,384 habitants. It has 6 municipalities and 69 villages.
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Department number 5 “Cortés” is the department with the highest number of cesarean sections recorded in 2015. In Cortés 8,255 cesarean section cases were recorded which represents 27.13%
of the total births recorded in that department. On the other hand, we find 21,487 vaginal births recorded which is 70.61% percent of the total births in Cortés. The department of Cortés was created on July 4, 1983. Its departmental header is “San Pedro Sula”, its population for 2015 was of 1,653,699 habitants. It has 12 municipalities and 284 villages.
The department of Cortés is the second most developed department of Honduras. Its departmental header San Pedro Sula, is known as the industrial city. Because this department currently has a major economic growth and more population compared to the departments that have less cesarean sections recorded, we can expect these results. The municipality of San Pedro Sula in 2013 had a 7.1% of analphabetism recorded.
Studies done by the mother by department
The following tables compile subnational data that represents the level of education obtained by the mothers that gave birth to the children recorded in the previous tables during the year 2015.
The inclusion of these tables have as an objective to show in which level of education in Honduras is deserted the most basing ourselves on the results of the year 2015. These results also serve as support for the statement that education is one of the biggest factors that support economic development through the development of human capital, which in turn postpone pregnancies.
Table 4.7 Studies done by the mother of the children born in 2015 in 18 departments of Honduras
Department 01 Atlántida Department 02 Colón
Mothers studies Cases % Accumulated
% Mothers studies Cases % Accumulated
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elementary 2316 34.23 44.13 Complete
elementary 2275 40.42 67.9
Department 03 Comayagua Department 04 Copán
Mothers studies Cases % Accumulated
% Mothers studies Cases % Accumulated
elementary 4072 42.13 67.69 Complete
elementary 3934 33.51 81.83
Department 05 Cortés Department 06 Choluteca
Mothers studies Cases % Accumulated
% Mothers studies Cases % Accumulated
%
None 554 1.82 1.82 None 313 3.84 3.84
Incomplete
elementary 2965 9.74 11.56 Incomplete
elementary 1476 18.13 21.97
Complete
elementary 11536 37.91 49.47 Complete
elementary 3437 42.21 64.18
Paraíso Department 08 Francisco Morazán
Mothers studies Cases % Accumulated
%
Mothers studies Cases % Accumulated
%
None 419 6.38 6.38 None 779 2.53 2.53
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elementary 1591 24.24 30.62 Incomplete
elementary 2819 9.16 11.69
Complete
elementary 2470 37.63 68.25 Complete
elementary 7700 25.02 36.71
Department 09 Gracias A Dios Department 10 Intibucá
Mothers studies Cases % Accumulated
%
Mothers studies Cases % Accumulated
%
None 8 2.05 2.05 None 374 6.18 6.18
Incomplete
elementary 73 18.67 20.72 Incomplete
elementary 1410 23.29 29.47
Department 11 Islas de la Bahía Department 12 La Paz
Mothers studies Cases % Accumulated
%
Mothers studies Cases % Accumulated
%
Department 13 Lempira Department 14 Ocotepeque
Mothers studies Cases % Accumulated
%
Mothers studies Cases % Accumulated
%
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elementary 2305 36.41 48.97 Incomplete
elementary 807 26.04 33.98
Complete
elementary 1929 30.47 79.43 Complete
elementary 1302 42.01 75.99
Department 15 Olancho Department 16 Santa Bárbara
Mothers studies Cases % Accumulated
%
Mothers studies Cases % Accumulated
%
None 780 7.13 7.13 None 513 8.88 8.88
Incomplete
elementary 2684 24.52 31.65 Incomplete
elementary 1297 22.46 31.35
University 194 1.77 96.09 Incomplete
University 49 0.85 95.2
Complete University 243 2.22 98.31 Complete University 95 1.65 96.85
Ns/Nr 185 1.69 100 Ns/Nr 182 3.15 100
Total 10946 100 100 Total 5774 100 100
Department 17 Valle Department 18 Yoro
Mothers studies Cases % Accumulated
% Mothers studies Cases % Accumulated
%
None 133 3.33 3.33 None 407 4.45 4.45
Incomplete
elementary 625 15.65 18.98 Incomplete
elementary 2164 23.67 28.12
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Mothers studies Cases % Accumulated
%
Complete University 6430 3.95 96.01
Ns/Nr 6485 3.99 100
Total 162704 100 100
Just as it can be appreciated in the summary, the education level obtained by the majority of women or in this case girls that gave birth in the year 2015, was just a complete elementary school education. This shows us that these girls that have obtained only an elementary school education and have just become mothers have a lower possibility of completing their education and getting a university degree. These certainly stops them from being a more active economic player in society. One important aspect from these results is to take into consideration the lack of sexual education in Honduras. These absence of sexual education seems reflected in a burst of births in the stage where sexual education is supposed to be taught.
The Department that had the largest percentage of mothers that completed elementary education in 2015 was Department Number 10: Intibucá. A total of 2,852 girls completed elementary school before they gave birth in 2015. This being a percentage of 47.12%. This department was created on April 16, 1883. Its departmental header is “La Esperanza”, its population for 2015 was of 246,258 habitants. It has 17 municipalities and 126 villages. It is also one of the departments with less economic development in the country.
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Incomplete and complete high school are the largest numbers recorded amongst all of the education levels.Incomplete high school education recorded a number of 21,404 cases out of 162,704 total births in 2015, representing 13.16%. Department number 9: Gracias a Dios is the department that has the least number recorded of girls that did not complete their high school studies in 2015 before giving birth. Gracias a Dios records 31 cases out of 391 in the department. This represents 7.93%.
Department number 5: Cortés, is the department that has the most number of cases registered of incomplete high school with 5,491 cases, which represent 18.04% of the total of 30,432 cases registered in Cortés.
27,869 girls completed their high school before giving birth in 2015, this number represents 17.13% of the total number of cases. Department number 9: Gracias a Dios records 39 cases of girls with complete high school education from 391 cases, representing 9.97%. Department number 8, Francisco Morazán has the most cases of girls having completed their high school before starting their families with 9,010 cases that represent 29.28%.
Sadly, the lowest numbers recorded are those of incomplete and complete university studies. The summary tells us that there are 4,237 cases of women with incomplete university studies before giving birth in 2015, this case total representing only a 2.6% of the women. Not surprisingly, due to its concentration of population, department number 8: Francisco Morazán, shows the largest numbers of incomplete university. Francisco Morazán, has 1,909 cases that represent 6.2% from a total of 30,775 cases of women that did not finish their university degrees before giving birth.
Francisco Morazán was created on June 28, 1825. Its departmental header is “Distrito Central”, its population for 2015 was of 1,577,178 habitants. It has 28 municipalities and 274 villages.
Department number 9 shows the lowest number out of all 18 departments, regarding the cases of women who did not complete their university studies before giving birth. Department number 9;
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Gracias a Dios had 12 cases of incomplete university studies in 2015, this represent 3.07% out of a total of 391 cases.
On the other hand, women with a complete university reach 6,430 cases from a total of 162,704 cases. This being only 3.95% of the cases. Yet again, we have department number 8, Francisco Morazán, as the department that has the largest number of cases of women who completed their university studies. A total of 2,400 women had already finished their university studies before starting their family. This represents just a 7.8%. As this is the department where the capital Tegucigalpa lies, its where more development can be found, hence where most people can get jobs that are not related to agriculture. Francisco Morazán, in 2015, had an urban population of 1,222,095 and a rural population of just 355,083. The before mentioned making it not surprising that it’s this department the one that has the largest percentage of women who did finish their studies.
The tables below show a comparison between both mother and father studies, of the children born during the year 2015 in Honduras.
Table 4.8 Comparison of mothers and fathers of the children born in 2015 in 18 departments of Honduras Mothers studies Cases % Accumulated
% Fathers studies Cases % Accumulated
elementary 58758 36.11 59.17 Complete
elementary 55532 34.13 58.69
Incomplete High School
21404 13.16 72.33 Incomplete High School
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If we compare both the completed level studies of the mothers and fathers of the children born in 2015 we find very similar numbers. Curiously, it is only in the incomplete elementary studies section were we can find more cases of fathers (29,810) than those of mothers (29,278). The education levels obtained by mothers in 2015 are higher in all levels: Complete elementary school, complete high school, and complete university. It is important to support equality, especially in education to be able to give children the same opportunity to develop. Being the case of Honduras that from couples that procreated a child in 2015, less male cases achieved diverse education levels compared to female cases, it is important to balance this existing inequality in education. Further study as to why in Honduras males are being subject of more incomplete education level cases in comparison to females is important to give balance to this equation.
Literacy of the mother and father by department
On the following tables we can find a side to side comparison between the literacy of the mother and father of every child born in 2015 classified by department in Honduras.
Table 4.9 Comparison of mothers and fathers studies of the children born in 2015 in 18 departments of Honduras Department
01 Atlántida Department
01 Atlántida
Mothers
literacy Cases % Accumulate
d % Fathers
literacy Cases % Accumulate d %
literacy Cases % Accumulate
d % Fathers
literacy Cases % Accumulate d %
Yes 5219 92.
7 92.72 Yes 4639 82 82.41
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literacy Cases % Accumulate
d % Fathers
literacy Cases % Accumulate d %
literacy Cases % Accumulate
d % Fathers
literacy Cases % Accumulate d %
06 Choluteca Department
06 Choluteca
Mothers
literacy Cases % Accumulate
d % Fathers
literacy Cases % Accumulate d %
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literacy Cases % Accumulate
d % Fathers
literacy Cases % Accumulate d %
literacy Cases % Accumulate
d % Fathers
literacy Cases % Accumulate d %
09 Gracias A Dios Department
09 Gracias A Dios
Mothers
literacy Cases % Accumulate
d % Fathers
literacy Cases % Accumulate d %
10 Intibucá Department
10 Intibucá
Mothers
literacy Cases % Accumulate
d % Fathers
literacy Cases % Accumulate d %
Yes 5443 89.
9 89.92 Yes 4700 78 77.65
No 366 6.0
5 95.97 No 354 5.9 83.5
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literacy Cases % Accumulate
d % Fathers
literacy Cases % Accumulate d %
literacy Cases % Accumulate
d % Fathers
literacy Cases % Accumulate d %
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16 Santa Bárbara Department
16 Santa Bárbara
Mothers
literacy Cases % Accumulate
d % Fathers
literacy Cases % Accumulate d %
literacy Cases % Accumulate
d % Fathers
literacy Cases % Accumulate d %
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All 18 departments without exception show that the mothers are more literate than the fathers. As per literacy, we can observe a registered number of 147,421 cases of literate mothers and 131,122 cases of literate fathers. Resulting in 16,299 cases of more literate mothers than fathers. In the other hand, there were just 8,019 registered cases of illiterate mothers compared to 10,036 cases of illiterate fathers. Making a difference of 2,017 more cases of illiterate fathers than mothers.
To the present date we can see that more women are literate and have completed more levels of education in the Honduran territory. Special attention to what factors are causing this difference is important. Equality in education is important in order to regulate birth rate, decrease inequality and increase economic development.
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