1.  Title: The highest fertility in Europe -- for how long? The analysis of fertility change in Albania based on individual data. Author: Aassve A; Gjonca A; Mencarini L Source: [Unpublished] 2007. Presented at the Population Association of America 2007 Annual Meeting, New York, New York, March 29-31, 2007. 20 p. Abstract: Albania's demographic changes have sparked considerable interest in recent years. Much of this attention has arisen due to a general lack of knowledge and unexpected demographic behaviour of the Albanian populations. The country has experienced a high level of life expectancy and relatively high levels of fertility in the recent years. While previous research gives some answers to developing trends and patterns of mortality and fertility change, not much is known about the demographic behaviour of Albanians. Though Falkingham and Gjonca (2001), using census data, provide useful insights into the fertility transition in Albania from 1950 to 1990, very little is known about fertility behaviour neither during the communist period nor during the nineties. From being one of the most isolated countries of the world, Albania has embarked on a remarkable transition which involves dramatic political and economic change. The new and emerging situation is bound to have profound impact on society and the behaviour of individuals within it. Using the Albanian Living Standard and Measurement Survey (ALSMS) surveyed in 2002 we analyse fertility behaviour in terms of the quantum and tempo effects during the period following the collapse of the communist era. We use appropriate survival analysis techniques such as non-parametric Kaplan-Meier (KM) estimation and semiparametric Cox regression. The results on one side support the evidence we know so far on Albania, that the reduction of fertility was mainly due to the improvements in the social agenda, with particular emphasis on female education, as well as the improvement in child mortality. The results also reveal that 1990s saw some strong period effects which mainly affected the higher parities. The persistence of traditional norms and values continue to affect the family formation in Albania, while the changes in the social and economic circumstances determine the outcome of childbearing. This paper shows again that similar to its mortality pattern, the fertility behaviour of Albanians are affected by both the south European patterns of family formation and the socio-economic changes that occurred in Eastern European countries. (author's) Language: English Keywords: ALBANIA | RESEARCH REPORT | STATISTICAL REGRESSION | DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEYS | ESTIMATION TECHNIQUES | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | FERTILITY CHANGES | FERTILITY DECLINE | DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS | REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR | SOCIAL CHANGE | EDUCATIONAL STATUS | CHILD MORTALITY | MORTALITY DECLINE | ECONOMIC FACTORS | Europe, Southeastern | Europe | Developing Countries | Data Analysis | Research Methodology | Population Dynamics | Population | Fertility | Sociocultural Factors | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Mortality Document Number: 317358 |
| 2. Peer Reviewed Title: Population control in India: Prologue to the emergency period. Author: Connelly M Source: Population and Development Review. 2006 Dec;32(4):629-667. Abstract: Some 30 years after the event, the Emergency Period remains the one episode in the history of family planning in India that would appear to require no introduction. It has become emblematic of everything that can go wrong in a program premised on "population control" rather than on reproductive rights and health. This included time-bound performance targets; a preference for methods that minimized the need for sustained motivation; disregard for basic medical standards; incentive payments that, for the very poorest, constituted a form of coercion; disincentives that punished nonparticipation; and official consideration of compulsory sterilization, which, even if never enacted into law, signaled that achieving national population targets might override individual dignity and welfare. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: INDIA | HISTORICAL REVIEW | DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | GOVERNMENT | POPULATION CONTROL | HISTORICAL DEMOGRAPHY | FAMILY PLANNING POLICY | POPULATION POLICY | MALTHUSIANISM | INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION | DEVELOPMENT POLICY | INCENTIVES | Asia, Southern | Asia | Developing Countries | Research Methodology | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Social Policy | Policy | Demography | Social Sciences | Science | Family Planning | Population Theory Document Number: 310806 |
| 3. Title: The future of fertility in intermediate-fertility countries. Revised. Author: United Nations. Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Population Division Source: In: Expert Group Meeting on Completing the Fertility Transition, New York, 11-14 March 2002, [compiled by] United Nations. Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Population Division. New York, New York, United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, 2004. :45-71. Abstract: This paper reviews the status of the fertility transition and the processes that have led to the nearly universal reductions of fertility achieved so far. The state of current knowledge, buttressed by the actual experience of a growing number of countries, suggests that lengthy periods of below-replacement fertility are likely to be common in the future. Revised guidelines for the United Nations 2002 Revision for the projection of fertility in today’s intermediate-fertility countries are proposed based on the recognition that replacement-level fertility is not necessarily hard-wired in the evolution of populations. The proposed guidelines imply that, under the medium variant, approximately 80 per cent of the world population will be projected to have below-replacement fertility before midcentury. (author's) Language: English Keywords: LITERATURE REVIEW | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | LOW FERTILITY POPULATION | FERTILITY DECLINE | POPULATION DYNAMICS | BELOW REPLACEMENT FERTILITY | DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION | REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR | CONTRACEPTIVE USAGE | Fertility | Demographic Factors | Population | Fertility Changes | Population Decrease | Contraception | Family Planning Document Number: 282129 |
| 4. Title: Fertility matters. New certainties make reducing high fertility central to the war on poverty. Author: Birdsall N; Sinding SW Source: Countdown 2015: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for All. 2004;(Spec No):28-32. Special report; ICPD at ten: Where are we now? Abstract: By the end of the 20th century, we had spent more than four decades debating the consequences of rapid population growth for the economies of poor countries. The role of economists in that debate had mostly been to counsel moderation—in interpreting relationships and in advocating ways to slow population growth. Even if economists agreed that rapid population growth had negative overall consequences, they generally viewed those consequences as small and short lived. At the macro level, economists reasoned, societies tend to develop compensating technology and institutions. At the micro level, human behaviour responds to incentives and constraints, and so human beings adjust. For example, if land becomes scarcer, the cost of schooling rises, or a mother’s time at work becomes more valuable, the cost of children rises, and parents will naturally decide to have fewer of them. The logic of moderation seemed broadly supported by technology breakthroughs, such as the high-yielding seed varieties of the Green Revolution that ended the fears of famine of the early 1960s. The adoption of modern contraception in much of the developing world after the mid-1960s was further evidence: it seemed to confirm that sweeping behavioural change was entirely possible, even in this most sensitive area. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: DEVELOPING COUNTRIES | CRITIQUE | EVALUATION | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT | FERTILITY RATE | DEVELOPMENT POLICY | POPULATION CONTROL | DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Economic Development | Economic Factors | Birth Rate | Fertility Measurements | Policy | Population Policy | Social Policy Document Number: 288527 |
| 5. Peer Reviewed Title: Discussion of paper 'Explanations of the fertility crisis in modern societies: a search for commonalities', Population Studies 57(3): 241-263, by John Caldwell and Thomas Schindlmayr. The ‘curiously high’ fertility of the USA. Author: Frejka T Source: Population Studies. 2004 Mar;58(1):88-92. Abstract: When attempting to put together a comprehensive theory of low fertility, Caldwell and Schindlmayr are puzzled by fertility in the USA. They say: 'Perhaps what needs explanation is the curiously high fertility of the United States, and even that may be largely ascribable to a highly fertile immigration stream from Latin America.' US fertility is 'curiously high' from the standpoint of the low-fertility countries, given that the principal mechanisms driving fertility down throughout the developed countries were present also in the USA. Before reviewing a number of opinions, hypotheses, and analyses offered to explain why US fertility is relatively high, one proposition can be added to the framework outlined by Caldwell and Schindlmayr. New scientific and technological advancements in all areas of human endeavour and enterprise as well as in management practices have emerged continuously over recent decades at an unprecedented pace. That is an important reason why people need and get more education and training than ever before, and is reflected in the growing proportions of men and especially women who have acquired any type of education. Rather than being simply a 'temptation' (the term used in the paper), many young people see education as a necessary condition of being successful in a profession and of being able to earn a decent living. This forceful inner drive is as important a motivation as individual insecurity, and the latter may have been overemphasized by Caldwell and Schindlmayr. For instance, in the discussion of Eastern Europe, the shock at the disappearance of the guaranteed employment and social protection of the socialist state is repeatedly cited, whereas there is not a single mention of the attitudes and behaviour of generations born in the 1970s and early 1980s, many of whom would seek a solid education and advancement in professional life before forming families. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | CRITIQUE | THEORETICAL STUDIES | DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | LOW FERTILITY POPULATION | HISPANICS | BLACKS | FERTILITY DECLINE | DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS | FERTILITY DETERMINANTS | POPULATION THEORY | SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS | EDUCATIONAL STATUS | Developed Countries | North America | Americas | Research Methodology | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Population | Ethnic Groups | Cultural Background | Population Characteristics | Fertility Changes | Demography | Social Sciences | Economic Factors | Socioeconomic Status Document Number: 187299 |
| 6. Title: The biocultural context of very high fertility among the Bekaa Bedouin. Author: Joseph SE Source: American Anthropologist. 2004 Mar;106(1):140-144. Abstract: This research report explores some of the biocultural dimensions of maximum or near maximum fertility among Bedouin tribes in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon. The Bedouin case substantiates that very high fertility (completed family size [CFS] greater than 8.0) is found among peripheral peoples in frontier situations generated by major political-economic shifts. While the Bedouin maintained high fertility (CFS > 6.5) for approximately sixty years (1899-1960), very high fertility--linked to greater historical reliance on agriculture--was of shorter duration (1934-60). Comparisons with other very high fertility populations indicate that, at the proximate level, maximum fertility is associated with early weaning, low rates of primary sterility, and high rates of marital stability. Results also point to low subadult mortality in Bedouin society. Low mortality is best attributed to the availability of modern medical care facilities and high-quality weaning foods. (author's) Language: English Keywords: LEBANON | RESEARCH REPORT | COMPARATIVE STUDIES | INDIGENOUS POPULATION | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | POLITICAL FACTORS | DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS | ECONOMIC FACTORS | Middle East | Developing Countries | Studies | Research Methodology | Population Characteristics | Population | Fertility | Population Dynamics Document Number: 284183 |
| 7. Title: 1/4 of Afghan children die before age 5. Source: POPLINE. 2003 Sep-Oct;25:4. Abstract: A $59.6 million grant to improve the health of Afghan women and children in a country where a quarter of all children do not survive beyond their fifth birthday has been approved by the World Bank. The project to develop basic health services and ensure that women and children have access to them will be implemented by Afghanistan’s health ministry. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: AFGHANISTAN | CHILD | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | WORLD BANK | INFANT MORTALITY | MATERNAL MORTALITY | HEALTH SERVICES | PROGRAM ACCESSIBILITY | Asia, Southern | Africa | Developing Countries | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Fertility | Population Dynamics | International Agencies | Organizations | Mortality | Delivery of Health Care | Health | Program Evaluation | Programs | Organization and Administration Document Number: 185761 |
| 8. Title: Fertility remains high in parts of India. Source: POPLINE. 2003 Sep-Oct;25:3. Abstract: While population growth in southern regions of India is leveling off and approaching a rate similar to the rates in some European countries, soaring growth in other parts of the world's second most populous country is raising the national average. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: INDIA | CRITIQUE | EVALUATION | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | POPULATION GROWTH | FERTILITY RATE | GEOGRAPHIC FACTORS | DIFFERENTIAL FERTILITY | FAMILY PLANNING POLICY | POPULATION STABILIZATION | POPULATION POLICY | Asia, Southern | Asia | Developing Countries | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Birth Rate | Fertility Measurements | Family Planning | Social Policy | Policy | Population Size Document Number: 185758 |
| 9. Title: Process of fertility change in Tamil Nadu. Report of the South India Fertility Project -- Phase II, Tamil Nadu component. Author: Audinarayana N; Kavitha N; Krishnamoorthy S Source: Coimbatore, India, Bharathiar University, Department of Population Studies, 2003 Jul. iv, 127 p. Abstract: Fertility transition in Southern India, in general, and in Tamil Nadu, in particular has been a notable feature during the last quarter of the twentieth century. Among the large states of India, the state of Tamil Nadu (formerly well known as Madras) has reached the replacement level of fertility entirely in different circumstances from that of Kerala, which has been much acclaimed for such an achievement at first. While Kerala’s low fertility is accompanied by low infant mortality, very high literacy and high status of women, this is not true in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu’s replacement level fertility has been achieved in conditions of moderate social development (moderate female literacy and mean age at marriage), industrialization and urbanization (according to 2001 Census Tamil Nadu is the highly urbanized state in India), but with lower per capita income and a substantial proportion (37.8% in 1987-89) of the population below the poverty line. This naturally prompted many population scientists to examine the plausible causes for drastic decline in fertility in Tamil Nadu. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: INDIA | ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICTS | RESEARCH REPORT | DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS | FOCUS GROUPS | RURAL POPULATION | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | COMMUNITY | DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION | INTERVIEWS | FERTILITY DETERMINANTS | SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS | Asia, Southern | Asia | Developing Countries | Geographic Factors | Population | Research Methodology | Data Collection | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Residence Characteristics | Population Distribution | Economic Factors Document Number: 189740 |
| 10. Title: Fertility response to childhood mortality in sub-Saharan [Africa] with emphasis on Ghana and Kenya. Author: Gyimah SO Source: London, Canada, University of Western Ontario, Population Studies Centre, 2002 May. [27] p. (Discussion Paper No. 02-02) Abstract: Notwithstanding the extensive social scientific research, there are still unanswered questions regarding the persistence of high fertility in sub-Saharan Africa. Although fertility behaviour depends on multiplicity of factors, childhood mortality is regarded as an important determinant. However, while the theoretical pathways through which infant and child mortality affect fertility are well understood, the empirical evidence has been inconsistent. Thus, the unsettled nature of the link between childhood mortality and fertility was a major motivation for this study. Methodologically, the paper examines the usefulness of frailty models in exploring the childhood mortality-fertility relationships using Demographic and Health Survey data from Ghana and Kenya. Invariably, women with prior infant deaths were found to have more subsequent births than those without mortality experience, suggesting both a physiological and behavioral response. While corroborating this findings, the multivariate results demonstrated that models without unobserved heterogeneity tended to produce biased estimates. Comparing Ghana and Kenya, there were significant differences in the effects of childhood mortality on subsequent births. At all parities, the fertility response to mortality was found to be larger in Ghana, perhaps suggesting a negative relationship between fertility response and the stage of fertility transition. (author's) Language: English Keywords: GHANA | KENYA | METHODOLOGICAL STUDIES | SURVEYS | CHILD | CHILD MORTALITY | FERTILITY DETERMINANTS | DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | Developing Countries | Africa, Western | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Africa, Eastern | Sampling Studies | Studies | Research Methodology | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Population | Mortality | Population Dynamics | Fertility Document Number: 173473 |
| 11. Title: Demographic situation in high fertility countries. Author: United Nations. Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Population Division Source: New York, New York, United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, 2001 Jun 7. 35 p. (UN/POP/PFD/2001/1) Prepared for the Workshop on Prospects for Fertility Decline in High Fertility Countries, New York, New York, July 9-11, 2001. Abstract: The fertility transition may be characterized by five stages that include the pre-transitional stage when total fertility rate (TFR) is above 5 children per woman and shows very weak or no signs of decline; the incipient (or early) stage when fertility declines from a maximum level recorded to 5 children per woman; the core stage that encompasses fertility levels 5 to 3 children per woman; the advanced stage corresponding to fertility lower than 3 children per woman but higher than the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman; and below-replacement fertility that is typical for post-transitional stage. For the purposes of examining the fertility transition countries may be grouped according to whether fertility has started to decline, the level of fertility reached in a specific period, the stage of the fertility transition the country recently went through. Countries with high fertility (46 in all) that are of interest in this paper are at two of the five stages of fertility transition; the pre-transitional stage and the incipient stage. In the two following sections of this paper, some background information such as marriage and sexual activity and other proximate determinants of fertility, and population policies are explored for those countries. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: AFRICA, SUB SAHARAN | WORKSHOPS | FERTILITY RATE | FERTILITY DECLINE | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION | SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS | MARRIAGE | CONTRACEPTION | FERTILITY PREFERENCES | POPULATION POLICY | Africa | Developing Countries | Education | Birth Rate | Fertility Measurements | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Fertility Changes | Economic Factors | Nuptiality | Family Planning | Social Policy | Policy Document Number: 189165 |
| 12. Peer Reviewed Title: High fertility does not cause spontaneous intrauterine fetal loss: the determinants of spontaneous fetal loss in Egypt. Author: El-Saadani S Source: Social Biology. 2000 Fall-Winter;47(3-4):218-43. Abstract: This study is concerned with a major, though relatively neglected, reproductive health issue: fetal loss. In particular, the determinants of spontaneous intrauterine mortality in Egypt are investigated with stress on the demographic determinants. To this end, a conceptual framework is developed. Using pregnancy history data from a national survey conducted in Egypt in 1995, the determinants of spontaneous intrauterine fetal deaths among currently married women aged 18-45 are examined using multiple logistic models. It is found that the probability of intrauterine fetal loss rises with maternal age. The apparent positive association of the risk with gravidity is shown to be an artifact, due to the heterogeneity among women with respect to the risk of pregnancy loss, the consequent selection process, and reproductive compensation behavior according to the "success/failure" stopping rule. Therefore, high fertility cannot be said to cause spontaneous fetal loss. Two other features of a woman's reproduction are of strong significance, namely, her pregnancy history and spacing among pregnancies. Once a woman suffers from spontaneous fetal loss, the probability of undergoing further pregnancy losses rises sharply. And the shorter the pregnancy interval, the higher the probability of pregnancy loss. Pregnancies conceived after long intervals are less likely to end in loss. (author's) Language: English Keywords: EGYPT | RESEARCH REPORT | SURVEYS | INTERVIEWS | LOGISTIC MODEL | FETAL DEATH | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | PREGNANCY HISTORY | Africa, North | Africa | Developing Countries | Sampling Studies | Studies | Research Methodology | Data Collection | Mathematical Model | Theoretical Models | Mortality | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Fertility | Fertility Measurements Document Number: 166405 |
| 13. Title: [Sayings and facts: family formation and contraception in poor women in metropolitan Buenos Aires] Los dichos y los hechos: formacion de la familia y anticoncepcion en mujeres pobres del conurbano de Buenos Aires. Author: Lopez E Source: In: Reproduccion, salud y sexualidad en America Latina, edited by Edith Alejandra Pantelides, Sarah Bott. Buenos Aires, Argentina, Editorial Biblos, 2000. :17-35. Abstract: 561 women aged 15-49 of low socioeconomic status living in peripheral areas of Buenos Aires were surveyed in late 1992 to early 1993 to determine the factors involved in the persistence of relatively high fertility among them. The fertility decline in Argentina as a whole was consolidated in the 1930s, and the average family size has fluctuated around 3 children. Argentina’s moderate population growth is associated with public policies discouraging contraceptive usage. Contraception and abortion are shared traditions among middle and upper class women with access to private services and in many lower class sectors. The study examines possible factors motivating higher fertility in the sociodemographic characteristics, contraceptive knowledge and usage, opinions concerning family formation and size, and degree of autonomy of the sample women. A significant finding was that respondents had somewhat smaller families than their mothers, suggesting that a transition may be underway. Pretransitional fertility patterns in the older women were related to larger family size models, completion of childbearing before massive diffusion of modern contraceptive methods, migration from high fertility areas in Argentina or abroad, and low educational attainment. Although respondents had high levels of fertility for Argentina, they were experienced in contraception. 75% of those aged 25-34 used a method. Younger respondents reported an earlier initiation into sexual activity, union, and childbearing than did older women. Several factors may encourage future fertility decline: higher educational levels, greater knowledge of contraception, incorporation of contraception into some public sector health services, and declining family size preferences. A broad spectrum of actions influencing aspects of gender, work, and equity may also be necessary. Spanish Abstract: Se encuestaron 561 mujeres de 15-49 años de edad de nivel socioeconómico bajo que vivían en zonas periféricas de Buenos Aires, entre finales de 1992 y principios de 1993, para determinar los factores que tienen que ver con la persistencia de una fecundidad relativamente elevada en ellas. La disminución de la fecundidad en Argentina en general se consolidó en los años treinta, y el tamaño promedio de la familia se ha situado cerca de 3 hijos por familia. El crecimiento de la población de Argentina está relacionado con políticas públicas que desalientan el uso de anticonceptivos. La anticoncepción y el aborto son tradiciones compartidas en las mujeres de clase media y alta que tienen acceso a servicios privados, y en muchos sectores de la clase baja. El estudio examina los posibles factores que producen la elevada fecundidad en las características sociodemográficas, conocimientos relativos a anticonceptivos y el uso de los mismos, opiniones relativas a la formación y el tamaño de la familia, y el grado de autonomía de las mujeres de la muestra. Un hallazgo importante fue que las encuestadas tenían familias un poco más pequeñas que sus madres, lo cual indica que tal vez está ocurriendo una transición. Las características de fecundidad del período anterior a la transición en las mujeres de más edad se relacionaban con modelos de familias más numerosas, término de la procreación antes de la difusión masiva de los métodos modernos de anticoncepción, emigración de zonas de fecundidad elevada en Argentina o al extranjero, y nivel de educación bajo. Aunque las encuestadas tenían altos niveles de fecundidad respecto a Argentina, también tenían experiencia en la anticoncepción. El 75% de las que tenían 25-34 años de edad usaban un método. Las encuestadas más jóvenes notificaron haber comenzado a tener relaciones sexuales, haber comenzado a vivir en unión y haber tenido hijos antes que las mujeres de más edad. Varios factores pueden promover el descenso de la fecundidad en el futuro: niveles de educación más elevados, mayor conocimiento relativo a la anticoncepción, incorporación de la anticoncepción en algunos servicios de salud del sector público y preferencia por familias cada vez menos numerosas. También es posible que se requiera una amplia variedad de medidas que influyan en aspectos de género, trabajo y equidad. Language: Spanish Keywords: ARGENTINA | SUMMARY REPORT | SURVEYS | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | LOW INCOME POPULATION | URBAN POPULATION | FERTILITY DETERMINANTS | FERTILITY PREFERENCES | CONTRACEPTIVE USAGE | PROGRAM ACCESSIBILITY | WOMEN'S STATUS | Developing Countries | South America, Southern | South America | Latin America | Americas | Sampling Studies | Studies | Research Methodology | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Social Class | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Population Characteristics | Contraception | Family Planning | Program Evaluation | Programs | Organization and Administration Document Number: 159705 |
| 14. Title: Philippines birth rate affects economy. Source: Lancet. 1999 May 15;353(9165):1687. Abstract: A report of the Asian Development Bank charges that the high birth rate supported by policies of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines is keeping the population mired in poverty. The Philippines has the highest growth rate in its region, which is not surprising given the fact the Archbishop of Manila describes condoms as "evil" and "fit only for animals" and that contraception is generally only available for 6-month periods. Abortion remains illegal, and the increasing number of illegal abortions has led some politicians to suggest that the penalty for abortion should be execution. The current president of the Philippines has fathered 11 children by 4 women and has ignored the population problem despite his campaign pledge to eliminate poverty. Currently, 22 out of 74 million Filipinos are malnourished, including 3-8 million children under age 5. This situation will only remain static or deteriorate unless the problem of overpopulation is faced. Language: English Keywords: PHILIPPINES | CRITIQUE | CATHOLICISM | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | POVERTY | INFLUENTIALS | OPPOSITION TO FAMILY PLANNING | Asia, Southeastern | Asia | Developing Countries | Christianity | Religion | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Knowledge Sources | Communication | Attitudes | Psychological Factors | Behavior Document Number: 142233 |
| 15. Title: Unwanted babies: 1 in 5 births. Source: REPROWATCH. 1999 Feb 1-28;:3-4. Abstract: The 1998 Demographic and Health Survey in the Philippines revealed that nearly 20% of births are unwanted and that elimination of unwanted births could reduce the total fertility rate to 2.7 births per woman instead of the current 3.7 (down from 4.1 in 1993). While Filipino women still desire relatively large families, nearly two-thirds of married women do not want more children or have been sterilized, and 19% want to delay their next birth by at least 2 years. Women in rural areas have almost 2 more children than those in urban areas. Women with no formal education have an average of 5 children, while those with some college education have 2.9. The survey involved a nationally representative sample of 13,983 women 15-49 years old. Efforts to reduce fertility may be enhanced by the use of soap operas promoting family planning and responsible sex behavior, and another recent survey has indicated that commercials promoting reproductive health that feature controversial actress Rosanna Roces are getting their message across. Language: English Keywords: PHILIPPINES | DEMOGRAPHIC AND HEALTH SURVEYS | PREGNANCY, UNWANTED | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | GEOGRAPHIC FACTORS | EDUCATIONAL STATUS | WOMEN | Asia, Southeastern | Asia | Developing Countries | Demographic Surveys | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors Document Number: 141567 |
| 16. Title: The determinants of fertility in Bolivia [abstract] Author: Bailey T Source: DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1999;59(10-B):5326. Doctoral dissertation, University of Michigan, 1998. Order No. AAD99-09843. Abstract: This analysis investigated the determinants of Bolivia's high fertility rate (5.0 in 1991, vs. South America's average of 2.9), paying special attention to the influence of female education and literacy. Using data from the 1989 Demographic and Health Survey, with 7923 female respondents, a variety of predictors (economic status, media exposure, partner education and occupation, residency, age, age at first union, female education, and female literacy) was regressed on children ever born (CEB). Most predictors were significant at the 95% confidence level except media exposure, geographic region, and lower levels (less than 7 years) of female and male education. With respect to CEB, females and males with lower education were not significantly different than those who completed primary school. Higher levels of female education, however, negatively impacted CEB. Measures of illiteracy and semiliteracy were significantly associated with CEB, while controlling for education. This suggests that literacy exerts a separate influence on CEB. Ancillary analyses showed that Bolivian women with several years of schooling were not necessarily literate. Hence, pathways by which literacy operates to reduce fertility, such as broadening women's work options, are compromised by a poor educational infrastructure. The separate significance of female schooling implies that classroom attendance can elevate a woman's self esteem and provide verbal exposure to "Western" norms, family planning information, and access points. (full text, modified) Language: English Keywords: BOLIVIA | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | FERTILITY DETERMINANTS | EDUCATIONAL STATUS | LITERACY | EDUCATION | WOMEN | Developing Countries | South America, Central | South America | Latin America | Americas | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors Document Number: 139785 |
| 17. Title: Women, fertility and family planning in Ethiopia. Author: Gelmite TT Source: In: Family planning: the Afro-Asian scenarios, edited by G.N. Rao. Thiruvananthapuram, India, Centre for Development Studies, 1999. :46-54. (Research Monograph Series: Vol. 5) Contains shortened student project reports. Abstract: This study seeks to analyze the causes and consequences of high fertility among Ethiopian women and the role of the family planning program in altering their situation. It is noted that low educational status, low employment status, early marriages, repeated pregnancies, and poor health characterize the condition of Ethiopian women. However, no specific policies or adequate action programs have so far been developed for addressing the issue of high fertility. There is also no law regarding family planning itself and family planning education. Although the Family Planning Guidance Association has been imparting family planning education since 1966, it was not incorporated into the curricula at various levels of educational system. Moreover, FP services are not accessible to all, since they are only offered in 132 health centers located in urban areas. Hence, those who need such services from the rural areas have to travel long distances. Tables are provided to support the data given. Language: English Keywords: ETHIOPIA | CASE STUDIES | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMS | FAMILY PLANNING EDUCATION | PROGRAM ACCESSIBILITY | Developing Countries | Africa, Eastern | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Studies | Research Methodology | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Family Planning | Programs | Organization and Administration | Education | Program Evaluation Document Number: 156082 |
| 18. Title: Pakistan: concerned about high growth. Source: CIRDAP DEVELOPMENT DIGEST. 1998 Dec;(74):33-4. Abstract: Pakistan has a growth rate of 2.7% annually, which is among the highest in Asia. Pakistan, with its 137 million population in 1997, ranked as the 7th most populous country in the world. At the current rate of population growth, Pakistan will double in 26 years to 243 million in 2020. Growth is attributed to high levels of fertility. The government hopes to increase the pace of fertility decline, lower rates of growth, reduce child and maternal mortality, improve child health, and promote gender equity and women's empowerment. About 41% of the population is under 15 years old. About 20% of the population are females of reproductive age. Only 27% of all females and only 12% of rural females are literate. Population programs aim to increase contraceptive use from 14% to 24.4% during 1992-98. Language: English Keywords: PAKISTAN | POPULATION GROWTH | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | Asia, Southern | Asia | Developing Countries | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Fertility Document Number: 141291 |
| 19. Title: Why reproductive health concerns a plantation workers' union. Source: SPOTLIGHT. 1998 Jun;(16):2. Abstract: Leaders of the National Union of Plantation and Agricultural Workers (NUPAW) of Uganda who recently met to discuss a training manual on reproductive health identified problems related to reproductive health and fertility on tea and sugar plantations and why they are of concern to NUPAW. Despite the risky nature of pregnancy for rural women, many pregnant women on plantations do not take advantage of the antenatal and postnatal care to which they have access. Overall high fertility, including teen pregnancy, are problematic, for parents do not have the resources to care for many children. Rather than attend school, children are often kept at home to help parents with their tasks. High fertility also contributes to overcrowding in the worker camps. Workers also need to know how to protect themselves against HIV and AIDS. NUPAW is charged with negotiating the best possible conditions for workers in terms of earnings and working and living conditions. However, it is difficult to achieve those goals when families are so large and require even more income and services. In addition, the large number of children on plantations will provide a future pool of cheap labor for the employer, thereby weakening the NUPAW's negotiating power. Large numbers of children also makes it unlikely that educational levels will increase, making it difficult to justify pay increases linked to the increased productivity of workers. Language: English Keywords: UGANDA | LABOR UNIONS | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | QUALITY OF LIFE | HOUSING | EDUCATION | WAGES | EMPLOYMENT-BASED SERVICES | FAMILY PLANNING EDUCATION | AGRICULTURAL WORKERS | INDUSTRY | REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH | Developing Countries | Africa, Eastern | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Organizations | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Social Welfare | Economic Factors | Residence Characteristics | Population Distribution | Geographic Factors | Macroeconomic Factors | Programs | Organization and Administration | Labor Force | Human Resources | Health Document Number: 136003 |
| 20. Title: Family demography in a remote rural community in Zambia. Author: Ashworth TG Source: PUBLIC HEALTH. 1998 Sep;112(5):313-6. Abstract: Kasanka National Park (KNP) is situated in the north of Zambia's Central Region and managed on a renewable 10-year lease from the government by Kasanka Trust Limited, a nonprofit organization based in Lusaka. The Kasanka Trust is committed to sustaining the KNP and providing advice and assistance to the people who live around its borders. A community survey was conducted over 3 weeks in August 1996 and a promotional film also made to learn about the living conditions and needs of the KNP's human neighbors. 262 men and 312 women from 312 family units were interviewed, of whom 91% belong to the BaLala tribe. General survey findings are presented, as well as what was learned about HIV infection and AIDS, family demography, pregnancy histories, child mortality, family size, population distribution, and family planning in the communities. There were an average of 4.46 surviving children per family in the sample, while women over age 45 years had a mean of 7.2 living children. Rapid population growth appears to be the main threat to the objectives of the Trust. The organization's first priority is to establish and staff a clinic with a medical officer and midwife where it is most needed. Language: English Keywords: ZAMBIA | RESEARCH REPORT | RURAL POPULATION | FAMILY DEMOGRAPHY | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | POPULATION GROWTH | NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS | POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS | Africa, Southern | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Developing Countries | Demographic Factors | Population | Family Research | Family and Household | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Organizations Document Number: 137685 |
| 21. Title: Is the reduction of birth intervals an efficient reproductive strategy in traditional Morocco? Author: Crognier E Source: ANNALS OF HUMAN BIOLOGY. 1998 Sep-Oct;25(5):479-87. Abstract: This study examined whether high fertility in Morocco among peasant, Berber, natural fertility populations relying on short birth intervals (SBIs) is an efficient reproductive strategy. Data were obtained from a subsample of reproductive life histories of 517 menopausal agriculturist women aged 50-70 years at the time surveys were conducted during 1984-87. The reproductive cycle began for the oldest and youngest women in 1930-35 and 1950-55. Age at menarche was late, followed by marriage after a mean interval of 3 years. The mean interval to first birth was 19.2 months. The subsequent pace of fertility had a mean interval of 3.5 years until the last birth at the mean age of 40.3 years. The total fertility rate was 8 births/woman, but fewer than 5 children survived to their 15th birthday (NMAT). Among children aged under 5 years, death rates were always higher for SBIs. The frequency of deaths among SBIs exceeded that of survivors among SBIs. The mortality rate of the preceding child was higher than the index child among SBIs at any parity. The link between a high death rate and SBI decreased from the second parity rank. Findings do not support replacement behavior as the reason for SBIs. Child survival to NMAT was moderately, significantly, inversely related to mean inter-birth interval length. SBIs enhanced reproductive success. The efficiency of the reproductive process increased as birth intervals grew. The two behaviors may be successive steps of the same reproductive adjustment to precarious life conditions among traditional Berber peasants, and an efficient mode of gene transmission. Language: English Keywords: MOROCCO | RESEARCH REPORT | SURVEYS | BIRTH INTERVALS | RURAL POPULATION | WOMEN | FAMILY SIZE, DESIRED | CHILD SURVIVAL | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | NATURAL FERTILITY | Developing Countries | Africa, Northern | Africa | Sampling Studies | Studies | Research Methodology | Fertility Measurements | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Population Characteristics | Family Size | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Survivorship | Length of Life | Mortality Document Number: 140576 |
| 22. Title: The economics of poverty in poor countries. Author: Dasgupta P Source: SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS. 1998;100(1):41-68. Abstract: This paper, which examines recently studied links between 1) poverty, high fertility, and undernourishment and 2) environmental degradation and civic disconnection in developing countries, opens by reviewing the limitations of orthodox discussions of economic institutions and property rights and the orthodox dichotomy that has located the cause of poverty in the suppression of markets. The introduction also notes that much of the analysis in this paper is based on data from sub-Saharan Africa and India. The next section of the paper summarizes evidence on the magnitude and extent of world poverty. Section 3 exposes the connection between undernourishment and a person's capacity to work as one of the pathways to the poverty trap. Sections 4 and 5 consider the dependence of impoverished rural populations on common-property resources and how the conventional process of economic growth can break down this system and make certain sections of the population especially vulnerable to economic shocks. The next two sections explore the possibility that links between poverty, high fertility, and environmental degradation may constitute another pathway to the poverty trap. The eighth section reviews the methodology of using net national product (which includes resource depletion and environmental deterioration) as an evaluation criterion and argues that mainstream development economists may have neglected environmental and population problems because they have been relying on the wrong economic indices. The final section concludes that a number of policies must be used to improve options for people. Language: English Keywords: DEVELOPING COUNTRIES | INDIA | AFRICA, SUB SAHARAN | CRITIQUE | LITERATURE REVIEW | POVERTY | MALNUTRITION | RURAL POPULATION | ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION | POLITICAL FACTORS | Asia, Southern | Asia | Africa | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Nutrition Disorders | Diseases | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Environment Document Number: 136821 |
| 23. Title: Wanted and unwanted fertility in selected states of India. Author: Kulkarni S; Choe MK Source: Mumbai, India, International Institute for Population Sciences, 1998 Feb. 32 p. (National Family Health Survey Subject Reports No. 6) Abstract: This study relied on new measures of wanted and unwanted fertility based on actual and wanted parity progression ratios (PPRs). The study was conducted among selected states in India with varying levels of fertility and socioeconomic development. Data were obtained from the 1992-93 National Family Health Survey of India, among ever married women aged 13-49 years for Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, and Kerala. Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan had low socioeconomic development and were the most populous states. These states included about 75% of women who were illiterate and a little over 25% who were exposed to radio. Fertility ranged from 3.6-4.8 births/woman. Wanted PPRs are the adjusted proportions of women who want more children. The unwanted fertility rate (UFR) is the difference between the total marital fertility rate and the wanted total marital fertility rate (WTMFR). The UFR was lowest in Kerala (0.37 unwanted births) and highest in Uttar Pradesh (1.46). The remaining states had UFRs of about 1 child/woman. The 4 largest states had a WTMFR ranging from 2.95-3.81. Multivariate analysis revealed that education, religion, exposure to mass media family planning messages, experience of child loss, and son preference were the main determinants of contraceptive use among women wanting no more children. Regardless of socioeconomic status, Muslim women were less likely to desire no more children or use contraception. Language: English Keywords: INDIA | RESEARCH REPORT | HEALTH SURVEYS | PREGNANCY, UNWANTED | PARITY PROGRESSION RATIO | COMPARATIVE STUDIES | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | Asia, Southern | Asia | Developing Countries | Health | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Parity | Fertility Measurements | Studies | Research Methodology Document Number: 133075 |
| 24. Title: Patterns of desired fertility and contraceptive use in Kuwait. Author: Shah NM; Shah MA; Radovanovic Z Source: International Family Planning Perspectives. 1998 Sep;24(3):133-8. Abstract: This study examined ideal family size, its determinants, and the impact of motivation on contraceptive use in Kuwait. Data were obtained from a household survey conducted in 1994, among 615 currently married, nonpregnant women aged younger than 50 years in 5 major governorates in Kuwait. Six variables (number of living children, marriage age, wife's employment, educational status of husbands and wives, ethnic background, and desired fertility) explained 15% of the variance in ideal family size. Women desired about 5.3 children. Women who married before the age of 18 years desired about 1 more child than women who married at over 21 years. Bedouin women desired 5.6 children and non-Bedouin women desired 4.8 children. Illiterate women desired 6.3 children. Women without formal schooling desired about 5.0 children. Working women desired 4.9 children. Number of living children and ethnicity were statistically significantly associated with ideal family size. 41% of women did not desire another child. The proportion of women wanting to stop childbearing increased with the number of living children. Non-Bedouin women were more likely to desire a stop to childbearing. 67% had ever used contraception; 50% were current users. Current use was associated with husband's level of education and wife's employment. With controls for the 6 variables, women who had the same or more children than their ideal were twice as likely to be current users as women who had not reached their ideal. Number of living children may be the most important factor in determining a stop to childbearing and the use of contraceptives. Language: English Keywords: KUWAIT | RESEARCH REPORT | SURVEYS | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | FAMILY SIZE, IDEAL | MOTIVATION | CONTRACEPTIVE USAGE | Middle East | Developed Countries | Sampling Studies | Studies | Research Methodology | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Family Size | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Psychological Factors | Behavior | Contraception | Family Planning Document Number: 137270 |
| 25. Title: [Does the increase in fertility rate reduce the burden of the public pension system?] Author: Aso Y Source: Jinko Mondai Kenkyu / Journal of Population Problems. 1997;53(4):32-48. Abstract: This paper has four purposes. The first is to organize the issues concerning low fertility and the aging of a population in terms of their economic factors. These issues tend to arise because the public pension system and the medical insurance system are administered through an assessment plan. The second purpose is to consider the proposed countermeasures to the declining birthrate, and what long-term effects they will have on the population. When discussing these countermeasures, it is important to consider the magnitude of their effects, since there will be a significant time lag before any results of these countermeasures are visible. For instance, the impacts of the declining fertility rate in the past 50 years will show up in the first half of the 21st century. Therefore, any measures taken to restore the birthrate would require until at least the mid-21st century to determine if they have been effective. The third purpose of this paper is to clarify that low fertility and an aging population would have desirable effects if not for the public pension system being administered through an assessment plan. And the last purpose of this document is to show that restoring the birthrate would not ease any burdens on the pension system. Therefore, even if the countermeasures were effective in managing the population's aging rate, the burdens on the public pension system would not be reduced. (excerpt) Language: Japanese Keywords: RESEARCH REPORT | FERTILITY RATE | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | SOCIAL SECURITY | POPULATION DISTRIBUTION | OLDER ADULTS | HEALTH INSURANCE | FERTILITY DECLINE | FERTILITY MEASUREMENTS | Birth Rate | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Government Financing | Financial Activities | Economic Factors | Geographic Factors | Adults | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Fertility Changes Document Number: 138134 |
| 26. Title: The unmet [need] for family planning in the United States. Author: Bogue DJ Source: [Unpublished] 1997. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America, Washington, D.C., March 27-29, 1997. [10] p. Abstract: Fertility in the US by socioeconomic and racial/ethnic groups and by census tract reveals pockets of high fertility. Data from 1700 census tracts in Chicago, Illinois, reveal a range of fertility from 0.75 to 4.5 children/woman. 16% of tracts had fertility over 2.5 children/woman. High-fertility populations lived in communities with a higher percentage of households with income below the poverty level, persons receiving public welfare, persons not in the labor force or working in part-time, low-paid jobs, households with female heads, and persons with less than a high school education. Low fertility was associated with more affluent and educated populations. The relationships were stronger among never married women. The highest fertility was found among deprived Black, American Indian, Hispanic, and selected Asian groups. The author posits that high fertility is due to pronatalism and unmet need for contraception, followed by unwanted births. A review of the literature indicates that Mexicans, unmarried Blacks, Puerto Ricans, and Cambodian-Laotians desire larger families. For every public dollar spent on contraceptive services, the public saves $3 on Medicaid costs for pregnancy-related and newborn medical care. Publicly funded services avert about 1.3 million unplanned pregnancies annually in the nation, 29% among 15-19 year old women, 67% among never married women, and 61% among women with very low income. Unintended pregnancy was higher among lower socioeconomic groups and due to unprotected coitus or contraceptive misuse or failure. Prevalence of non-use of contraception was higher among unmarried Blacks and Hispanics. Lack of knowledge of contraception and misuse of methods was greater among the poor. Unmet need today in the nation may be about 7-10%, but higher by subgroup. It is urged that analysis of the 1995 and 1998 family life surveys focus on unmet need and deficiencies in the provision of family planning. Language: English Keywords: ILLINOIS | UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | LITERATURE REVIEW | RESEARCH REPORT | PREGNANCY, UNWANTED | THEORETICAL MODELS | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | POVERTY | UNEMPLOYMENT | HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD | EDUCATIONAL STATUS | SOCIAL WELFARE | WOMEN | Developed Countries | North America | Americas | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Research Methodology | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Employment | Macroeconomic Factors | Households | Family and Household | Socioeconomic Status Document Number: 121667 |
| 27. Title: Africa faces reproductive crisis [editorial] Author: Caldwell JC Source: African Journal of Reproductive Health. 1997 Sep;1(2):10-1. French language version: pp. 12-4. Abstract: Sub-Saharan Africa faces three major reproductive health crises, namely, the world's highest maternal mortality, highest fertility, and the most serious AIDS epidemic. The high fertility rate of African women is a reaction to high infant and child mortality, and the product of low levels of education and inadequate access to contraceptive services. In this region it is important to recognize both the old and the new contraceptive messages. It is further important to recognize the relevance of the messages. The International Conference on Population and Development stated that women have the right to protect their health by being able to use contraception, and a right to begin contraception in a condition of good reproductive health and to maintain that health. Moreover, a major movement against sexually transmitted diseases is needed since they act as cofactors for HIV infection, and can add to human misery by causing sterility and death. Language: English Keywords: AFRICA, SUB SAHARAN | CRITIQUE | MATERNAL MORTALITY | REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH | AIDS | HIV INFECTIONS | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | EPIDEMICS | Africa | Developing Countries | Mortality | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Health | Viral Diseases | Diseases | Fertility Document Number: 147397 |
| 28. Title: [On the population of Jordan as assessed in the 1994 census] Reflexions sur la population de la Jordanie a partir du nouveau recensement de 1994. Author: Courbage Y Source: POPULATION. 1997 Nov-Dec;52(6):1,563-70. Abstract: Some characteristics of the population of Jordan are outlined based on preliminary results form the 1994 census. The author notes that the country has one of the fastest rates of population growth in the world, with a young age distribution and high rates of fertility. Some information is also provided on fertility differentials by region. (ANNOTATION) Language: French Keywords: JORDAN | POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS | FERTILITY | DIFFERENTIAL FERTILITY | GEOGRAPHIC FACTORS | AGE DISTRIBUTION | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | Middle East | Developing Countries | Demographic Factors | Population | Population Dynamics | Age Factors Document Number: 255339 |
| 29. Title: [Palestinian fertility following the Intifada] La fecondite palestinienne des lendemains d'Intifada. Author: Courbage Y Source: POPULATION. 1997 Jan-Feb;52(1):223-33. Abstract: Palestinian fertility has remained little affected by the demographic transition, with a total fertility rate of over 8 in the mid-1980s despite an array of factors usually associated with fertility decline. Fertility even increased slightly after the launching of the Intifada in December 1987. A recent survey by the new Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics of Ramallah, financed by a contribution from the European Commission, was undertaken in 1995 and could indicate whether the September 1993 peace accord affected fertility. Some 20,000 housing units in the West Bank and Gaza were covered. The survey data showed a total fertility rate (TFR) of 5.62 in the West Bank, 7.4 in Gaza, and 6.23 overall in 1994-95, reflecting a slight decline but still a much higher TFR than other Arab countries of the Middle East. The classic fertility differentials were small: the total fertility rate was 5.81 in cities, 6.39 in villages, 6.85 in refugee camps, 6.62 for women with less than secondary education, 5.57 for those with secondary education, and 4.72 for those with secondary or higher education. Only religion showed a marked effect, with Christian women having a TFR of 2.71 compared to a TFR of 6.34 among Muslim women. A reconstruction of fertility levels using the Palestinian data indicates that from 1980 to 1987 a strong trend toward fertility decline occurred, with the TFR dropping from 7.67 to 6.84 during the 7-year period, due entirely to a 17% decline in the West Bank. The TFR remained nearly constant in Gaza before the Intifada and reached 8.11 in 1988, 8.5 in 1989, and 8.76 in 1990. Only 1 year of data is available after the peace accord signing. Survey data suggest that the desired family size remains large, at around 5. It appears that Palestinian fertility will not significantly decline until the current political status of neither war nor peace is improved and Palestinian women achieve increased participation in society. French Abstract: La fécondité palestinienne est restée peu affectée par la transition démographique, avec un taux de fécondité totale de plus de 8 pendant les années 1980 en dépit de l'existence des facteurs qui sont d'habitude associés à la baisse de la fécondité. Le taux de la fécondité s'est même accru légèrement après le commencement de l'Intifada en décembre 1987. Une enquête récente qui a été conduite par le nouveau Bureau palestinien central des statistiques de Ramallah, qui a été financée par une donation de la Commission européenne, a été conduite en 1995 et pourrait indiquer si l'accord de la paix qui a été signé en septembre 1993 a eu en effet sur la fécondité. Environ 20,000 unités d'habitation en Cisjordanie et à Gaza ont été couvertes par l'enquête. Les données qui ont été obtenues dans l'enquête ont indiqué l'existence d'un taux de fécondité totale de 5,62 en Cisjordanie, de 7,4 à Gaza, et de 6,23 en tout en 1994 et en 1995. Ces données indiquent que le taux de fécondité totale est moins élevé qu'auparavant, mais que la fécondité palestinienne reste beaucoup plus élevée qu'aux autres pays arabes du Moyen-Orient. Il n'y avait que de petits différentiels classiques de fécondité: le taux de fécondité totale était de 5,81 dans les villes, de 6,39 dans les villages, de 6,85 dans les camps de réfugiés, de 6,62 chez les femmes qui avaient moins d'une éducation secondaire, de 5,57 parmi celles qui avaient une éducation secondaire, et de 4,72 chez les femmes qui avaient au moins une éducation secondaire. La religion a eu un effet important; les Chrétiennes avaient un taux de fécondité totale de 2,71 comparé à un taux de fécondité totale de 6,34 chez les Musulmanes. La dimunition de fécondité totale de 7,67 à 6,84 entre 1980 et 1987 a été le résultat d'une baisse de fécondité de 17% en Cisjordanie. Le taux de fécondité totale a peu changé à Gaza avant l'Intifada et il était de 8,11 en 1988, de 8,5 en 1989, et de 8,76 en 1990. Les données ne sont disponsibles que pour la période d'une année après la date de l'accord de la paix. Les données qui ont été obtenues dans l'enquête suggèrent que les gens préfèrent avoir environ 5 enfants. Il semble que la fécondité palestinienne ne baissera pas d'une façon significative sans un changement du contexte politique actuel qui touche sur la stabilisation eventuelle de la population. En plus, les Palestiniennes devront participer en société d'une façon plus active. Language: French Keywords: GAZA | ISRAEL | JORDAN | FERTILITY SURVEYS | FERTILITY DECLINE | DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION | FERTILITY DETERMINANTS | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | POLITICAL FACTORS | Developing Countries | Middle East | Developed Countries | Fertility Measurements | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Fertility Changes Document Number: 133889 |
| 30. Title: Fertility and childbearing practices in a rural African community. Author: Lawoyin TO; Onadeko MO Source: WEST AFRICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINE. 1997 Oct-Dec;16(4):204-7. Abstract: A 2-year prospective community-based study was conducted in Lagun, a typical Yoruba village of Southwest Nigeria, during all of 1993 and 1994 to examine current childbearing practices within the community, to assess current fertility levels, and to better understand the factors which are associated with high fertility reported at the village level. The de facto and de jure populations of Lagun are 1907 and 3201, respectively. Women in the village begin bearing children early and continue to do so late into their reproductive years. The median age of women who delivered during the 2-year study period was 24 years, with peak fertility at 20-24 years old. Seasonality of births was observed due to religion and the agricultural cycle. The unadjusted total fertility rate (TFR) for 1993 was 8.83 and 8.47 for 1994; the small decline in TFR during 1993-94 was insignificant. Traditional attitudes in favor of high fertility are maintained due to ignorance about modern family planning methods, low child survival rates, and the custom of using children as farm labor. Children also remain the major source of old-age support. Since the majority of people in Nigeria live in rural areas, it is in such areas that focus should be given to reduce the national TFR. Measures to that end include improving child survival, increasing the levels of contraceptive awareness and education, and improving prevailing socioeconomic conditions in rural areas. Language: English Keywords: NIGERIA | RESEARCH REPORT | RURAL POPULATION | FERTILITY | HIGH FERTILITY POPULATION | NEEDS | RELIGION | AGRICULTURE | CULTURAL BACKGROUND | KNOWLEDGE | CHILD LABOR | CHILD SURVIVAL | OLD AGE SECURITY | Africa, Western | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Developing Countries | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Population Dynamics | Economic Factors | Macroeconomic Factors | Labor Force | Human Resources | Survivorship | Length of Life | Mortality | Microeconomic Factors Document Number: 131929 |
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