Back to home page1992 - VOLUME 7, NUMBER 4
93.85.08 - English - Ricardo F. NEUPERT
Mongolia: Recent Demographic Trends and Implications (p. 3-24)
This study examines the recent levels and past trends in the basic components of Mongolia's population growth and analyzes some of the most relevant consequences of the present and expected population trends and their policy implications. Despite previous high rates of population growth, and in spite of the Government's strict pro-natalist policy, fertility is declining. However, abortion, which was legalized in 1989, plays a preponderant role in fertility decline, even though the Government has removed former restrictions on contraception. This fact alone would suggest that the possibility of implementing an official family planning programme should be taken more seriously. (MONGOLIA, FERTILITY TRENDS, ABORTION, POPULATION POLICY)
93.85.09 - English - Xingyan WEN
The Effect of Sex Preference on Subsequent Fertility in Two Provinces of China (p. 25-40)
This article provides evidence from two peasant-dominated provinces of China which indicates that a strong, pervasive son preference persisted during the powerful family planning programme period, while the fertility of those provinces declined dramatically. Compared with some major socio-economic characteristics, son preference is the most significant factor which continued to exert a great influence on bearing a third child even during the period of the one-child campaign. The study finds that the overall quantitative effect of sex preference on recent fertility is substantial. (CHINA, SEX PREFERENCE, FERTILITY DETERMINANTS)
93.85.10 - English - W. Indralal DE SILVA, Demographic Training and Research Unit, Univeristy of Colombo, 94 Cumaratunga Munidasa Mawatha, Colombo 3 (Sri Lanka)
Do Fertility Intentions and Behaviour Influence Sterilization in Sri Lanka? (p. 41-60)
This article examines determinants of sterilization, including fertility intentions and behaviour, among Sri Lankan women, using longitudinal data for the period 1982-1985. Age and fertility jointly influenced the likelihood of sterilization, as did education and certain ethno-religious affiliation, among other factors. If the country is to achieve the replacement fertility target by the year 2001, the prevalence of contraceptive methods must rise from 55% in 1981 to 71% in the year 2001, with female sterilization increasing annually by 30,000 and male sterilization by 7,000 throughout the period. (SRI LANKA, SEXUAL STERILIZATION)
1993 - VOLUME 8, NUMBER 1
93.85.11 - English - M. Nurul ISLAM and M. Mazharul ISLAM, Department of Statistics, Dhaka University, Dhaka 1000 (Bangladesh)
Biological and Behavioural Determinants of Fertility in Bangladesh: 1975-1989 (p. 3-18)
This study examines the recent level and trend of fertility and the factors affecting fertility in Bangladesh utilizing the most recent data of the Bangladesh Fertility Survey (BFS) 1989. The analysis shows that, although the fertility level of Bangladesh is declining, it is still very high (around 5 births per woman). The analysis suggests that the fertility-reducing effect of contraception is gradually increasing and predicts that the use of contraception will be the dominant factor in any further reduction in fertility. (BANGLADESH, FERTILITY DECLINE, PRATIQUE DE LA CONTRACEPTION)
93.85.12 - English - M. Mahmud KHAN, Robert J. MAGNANI, Nancy B. MOCK, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118 (U.S.A.), and Yusuf S. SAADAT, Department of Economics, University of New Orleans, Lakefront, New Orleans, LA 70148 (U.S.A.)
Costs of Rearing Children in Agricultural Economies: An Alternative Estimation Approach and Findings from Rural Bangladesh (p. 19-38)
In developing societies, time costs account for a large share of total child costs. This study proposes an alternative method of estimating time costs in traditional agricultural economics. The empirical results indicate higher child costs in absolute terms for landless farm and rich households compared with middle-income households. As a proportion of total household income, however, total child care costs are approximately five times greater for landless farm households than for the most affluent group. Further, both the relative and absolute levels of child costs for all household categories are much lower than is observed in more developed economics. The article concludes that the low cost of child-rearing contributes to continued high fertility levels in low-income countries such as Bangladesh. (BANGLADESH, COST OF CHILDREN, SOCIO-ECONOMIC DIFFERENTIALS, AGRICULTURAL POPULATION)
93.85.13 - English - M. Nurul ISLAM, Department of Statistics, Dhaka University, Dhaka 1000 (Bangladesh), and M. Mujibur RAHMAN, Department of Statistics, University of Chittagong, Chittagong (Bangladesh)
Client Satisfaction with Sterilization Procedure in Bangladesh (p. 39-52)
This study examines the level of satisfaction of sterilized clients and identifies the causes of dissatisfaction. About 90% of the vasectomy clients and 95% of the tubectomy clients were found to be satisfied with their decision to undergo sterilization. Only a small minority regretted their decision. The major factors behind the recent decline in sterilization acceptance include the programmatic shift in service delivery, a deficiency in the supply of services, strengthening of the community-based service delivery system and the elimination of referral fees, among others. (BANGLADESH, SEXUAL STERILIZATION, SATISFACTION, FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMMES)
1993 - VOLUME 8, NUMBER 2
93.85.14 - English - Sarah SALWAY, Nikhil Ch. ROY, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka (Bangladesh), Michael A. KOENIG, The Ford Foundation, New Delhi (India), and John CLELAND, Centre for Population Studies, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 99 Gower Street, London (U.K.)
Levels and Trends in Post-partum Amenorrhoea, Breast-feeding and Birth Intervals in Matlab, Bangladesh: 1978-1989 (p. 3-22)
Data from the Matlab Family Planning-Health Services Project, Bangladesh, were used to explore changes in durations of post-partum amenorrhoea, breast-feeding and birth intervals over the period 1978-1989. The duration of post-partum amenorrhoea was found to have declined sharply. Although changes were seen in breast-feeding, they were less pronounced and did not mirror the post-partum amenorrhoea trends exactly. The article also explores other possible explanations for the short and declining durations of post-partum amenorrhoea, a phenomenon which may have important consequences for fertility. (BANGLADESH, POST-PARTUM AMENORRHOEA, BREAST FEEDING, BIRTH INTERVALS)
93.85.15 - English - Gale DIXON, Department of Geography and Environmental Science, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3168 (Australia)
Ethnicity and Infant Mortality in Malaysia (p. 23-54)
In peninsular Malaysia during the early 1980s, ethnic Chinese babies died at the rate of 14.1 per thousand live births; rates for Malay and Indian babies were 23.4 and 23.1 per thousand, respectively. Such variations indicate that cultural patterns of confinement and infant care may favour one ethnic group's children over another's. This study reviews the relevant literature on traditional modes of infant care associated with the three major ethnic groups of Malaysia. Development in that country has resulted in infant mortality rates that are quite low, so further reductions are neither so easy nor urgent to bring about, but the country's experience may be instructive for other societies. Also, within Malaysia, a better understanding of the relationship between ethnicity and infant mortality may assist in locating those infants still at risk. (MALAYSIA, INFANT MORTALITY, DIFFERENTIAL MORTALITY, ETHNIC GROUPS)
93.85.16 - English - C.Z. CHENG, Centre of Asian Studies, University of Hong Kong, Pukfulam Road (Hong Kong)
The Fertility Decline in China: The Contribution of Changes in Marital Status and Marital Fertility (p. 55-72)
This article examines the possible impacts of changes in nuptiality and marital fertility patterns on fertility in China. It quantifies the components of the decline in annual fertility from 1953 to 1981 in order to facilitate future research on the underlying and intermediate variables which are likely to affect fertility. It concludes that prospects for retaining a low level of fertility are unclear; policy makers must take into account the direct and indirect effects of socio-economic development on fertility. (CHINA, FERTILITY DECLINE, FERTILITY DETERMINANTS, NUPTIALITY, LEGITIMATE FERTILITY RATE)
1993 - VOLUME 8, NUMBER 3
93.85.17 - English - Kua WONGBOONSIN and Vipan Prachuabmoh RUFFOLO, Institute of Population Studies, Chulalongkorn University, Visid Prachuabmoh Bldg., Bangkok 10330 (Thailand)
The Future of Thailand's Population Policy: Potential Directions (p. 3-18)
This article goes right to the heart of the matter of planning for Thailand's population and future development. After describing how, within one or two generations, parents' attitudes towards child-bearing and child-rearing have changed almost completely: from desiring a high quantity of children to desiring a high quality of children, it explains why issues such as population ageing and labour shortages cannot be addressed by reversing current fertility trends. It concludes that fertility in the long-term is unlikely to fall below the replacement level, unless there is a substantial change in the country's social and cultural context. (THAILAND, FERTILITY DECLINE, POPULATION POLICY, CULTURAL CHANGE, FORECASTS)
93.85.18 - English - Md. Shahid ULLAH and Nitai CHAKRABORTY, Department of Statistics, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000 (Bangladesh)
Factors Affecting the Use of Contraception in Bangladesh: A Multivariate Analysis (p. 19-30)
This study, based on 1989 Bangladesh Fertility Survey data, attempts to identify important determinants of contraceptive use among women of reproductive age. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that 12 variables, among the 15 selected socio-economic and demographic variables, are statistically significant factors influencing the current contraceptive prevalence rate. Women's education emerged as the most influential factor, followed by women's participation in making decisions about family planning practice. Number of living children, religion, and education of husbands do not seem to have significant effects on current use of contraception. (BANGLADESH, CONTRACEPTIVE USAGE, MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS)
93.85.19 - English - M. KABIR, Department of Statistics, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka (Bangladesh), and Ruhul AMIN, Institute of Urban Research, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD 21239 (U.S.A.)
Factors Influencing Child Mortality in Bangladesh and Their Implications for the National Health Programme (p. 31-46)
Infant and child mortality levels are still considered to be high in Bangladesh despite the introduction of various health interventions, including the family planning programme. In the absence of a vital registration system, infant and child mortality levels are generally estimated from large-scale nationally representative surveys. This study attempts to estimate by indirect estimation technique the levels of infant and child mortality in Bangladesh using the 1989 Bangladesh Fertility Survey (BFS). The levels of infant and child mortality obtained from the 1989 BFS indicate substantial improvements in child survival, although the fall in infant mortality has been faster than the fall in child mortality. (BANGLADESH, INFANT MORTALITY, YOUTH MORTALITY, MORTALITY DECLINE)
1993 - VOLUME 8, NUMBER 4
93.85.20 - English - Do TRONG HIEU, John STOECKEL and Nguyen VAN TIEN, MCH/FP Department, Ministry of Health, Hanoi (Viêt-Nam)
Pregnancy Termination and Contraceptive Failure in Viet Nam (p. 3-18)
Even though Viet Nam has an active population programme which supplies a range of contraceptive methods to couples, Ministry of Health officials suspect that a substantial proportion of the women requesting pregnancy terminations may be using those services as a substitute for contraception. This article reports on a study in the northern part of the country that identified the proportion of women terminating a pregnancy because of contraceptive failure, the causes of this failure and the reasons for non-use of contraception among women seeking pregnancy terminations. The article highlights the important findings of the study and their implications for policy and programme purposes. (VIET NAM, INDUCED ABORTION, CONTRACEPTIVE FAILURES, FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMMES)
93.85.21 - English - Margaret WINN, School of Medical Education, University of New South Wales, Sydney (Australia), and David LUCAS, National Centre for Development Studies, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT (Australia)
Language, Videos and Family Planning in the South Pacific (p. 19-38)
This article looks at the importance of language in family planning activities in the South Pacific, particularly at the use of language in videos and in the development of a lexicon of reproductive health terms. Language choice, context and equivalence are covered, as is the use of "new" and "rude" words. In addition, the article focuses on wider South Pacific communication issues such as those related to taboos against the public discussion of sexuality, and draws out various policy and programme implications. (OCEANIA, FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMMES, AUDIO-VISUAL MATERIALS, LANGUAGES, TERMINOLOGY, MASS COMMUNICATION)
93.85.22 - English - Ruhul AMIN, Jamir CHOWDHURY, Ashraf U. AHMED, Robert B. HILL, Institute of Urban Research, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD 21239 (U.S.A.), and M. KABIR, Department of Statistics, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka (Bangladesh)
Reproductive Change in Bangladesh: Evidence from Recent Data (p. 39-58)
Based on the adverse social and econo@c circumstances that exist in Bangladesh, which is among the least developed of the third world countries, most observers have predicted a continuation of high fertility norms. However, there has been a recent increase in contraceptive use and reduced fertility. This article examines trends and differentials in fertility, contraceptive use and fertility preferences in order to offer an explanation for this rapid adoption of fertility regulating behaviour. It concludes by bringing out the implications for policy purposes. (BANGLADESH, FERTILITY TRENDS, CONTRACEPTIVE PREVALENCE, REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOUR)
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