Recent evidence on trends and differentials in Bangladesh fertility

Desire for Children in Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan

The purpose of this study was to investigate son preference with respect to desired number of children and perceived instrumentality of children in relation to a number of values. The sample included respondents of Turkic origin residing in Ashgabat and Baku, the respective capitals of Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. The results revealed that Turkmens desired a greater number of children and ascribed greater importance to having children than did Azeris. Turkmen men and women, as well as Azeri men, desired more sons than daughters, and Azeri women showed a preference for sons only when forced to choose. Correlational analyses revealed significant relationships between age and number of children desired for both samples and between educational level and number of children desired for the Turkmen sample. Correlational analyses revealed that educational level was related positively to daughters’ and negatively to sons’ instrumentality for furthering some values for men in the Ashgabat sample.

A hierarchical model of contraceptive use in urban and rural Bangladesh

In this paper, a model is developed for examining the hierarchical effects of contraceptive use and its determinants in urban-rural Bangladesh by employing data from the 1989 Bangladesh Fertility Survey (BFS). In the survey, a total of 11,905 ever-married women of reproductive age were interviewed in urban and rural situations. An investigation has been carried out in this study using a set of demographic, socio-economic, cultural, and decision-making variables. A number of new findings emerge from this study. It has been found that contraceptive use has no significant variation between regions; however, a statistically significant variation exists between the blocks (census tracts) of Bangladesh. Findings also indicate that mother's parity, her education, family planning decisions, and female independence score are found to have a significant positive effect on the use of contraception in urban and rural Bangladesh, whereas child death has a significant negative influence. Religion and work experience of women are found to have little effect on contraceptive use. The findings of the study indicate priority points for policy purposes.

Factors affecting the most recent fertility rates in urban-rural Bangladesh

This paper reports on a study which has been undertaken using data from the 1989 Bangladesh Fertility Survey (BFS) to determine the significance of influences on the probability of birth in the year preceding the survey. In the survey a total of 11905 ever-married women of reproductive age were asked a battery of questions relating to fertility aspects of women. Variables selected in this study were grouped into demographic, socio-economic, cultural and decision-making variables. Findings from the study indicate that the mother's age, whether contraception has ever been used, the death of a child at any time, whether the woman has ever worked, religion, region of residence, and female independence are the important covariates for explaining recent fertility in Bangladesh. Models are developed for the probabilities of a woman giving birth in urban and rural areas, dependent on her demographic and socio-economic conditions. Also developed are models for contraceptive use in urban-rural Bangladesh. This modelling contributes to a better understanding of fertility changes in Bangladesh and the differentials between urban and rural fertility. It is indicated that a continued fertility decline is likely.

Recent evidence on trends and differentials in Bangladesh fertility: an update

A comparison of contraceptive and fertility data for 1985-91 with data for 1983 shows that fertility has continued to decline in Bangladesh, in all segments of society. The magnitude of decline varied according to educational level, region and urban-rural locality. The percentage decline in total marital fertility rate was somewhat higher among urban than rural residents; educated women showed greater declines than uneducated, increasing the overall educational differences in total fertility by 1991. Factors contributing to the recent decline in fertility are discussed.