Title: The proximate determinants of fertility in high fertility countries.

POPLINE Document Number: 203725

Author(s):

Page HJ
Lesthaeghe RJ
Adeokun LA
Locoh T
Janssens M
Assogba L
Bledsoe CH
Ntozi JP
Kabera JB
Ssekamatte-Ssebuliba J

Source citation:

New York, New York, The Population Council, 1988. 20 p. (Fertility Determinants Research Notes No. 23)

Abstract:

4 proximate determinants account for most of the variance in fertility across populations: proportions married among females, duration of postpartum infecundability, contraceptive use and effectiveness, and prevalence of induced abortion. In those high fertility countries with low contraceptive prevalence it is particularly important to study the impact of the other proximate determinants and the manner in which they interact with local customs and behavior. In addition, as use of effective contraception becomes more widespread in these countries, incipient declines in fertility are often counterbalanced by shifts in other determinants, such as breastfeeding behavior. This note examines the proximate determinants of fertility in diverse settings in sub-Saharan Africa, India, and Mexico. Reports from 7 research projects shed light on the dynamics that contribute to the transition form natural fertility to a decline in the size of families. (author's)

Keywords:

Africa South of the Sahara
India
Mexico
Fertility Determinants
Intermediate Variables
Contraceptive Usage
Breastfeeding
Demographic Impact
Sex Behavior
Ethnic Groups
Abstinence
Child Worth
Birth Spacing
Africa
Developing Countries
Asia, Southern
Asia
North America
Latin America
Americas
Fertility
Population Dynamics
Demographic Factors
Population
Contraception
Family Planning
Infant Nutrition
Nutrition
Health
Behavior
Cultural Background
Population Characteristics
Family Planning, Behavioral Methods
Microeconomic Factors
Economic Factors