bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Grounds for divorce in England and Wales—a social and demographic analysis
Authors: Haskey John C.
Published: July 2008

This paper examines the social and demographic features of divorcing couples by the grounds on which their decrees are made absolute and by the party granted the divorce. The demographic characteristics include ages at marriage and at divorce of husbands and of wives granted decrees, duration of marriage, number of children, and the social class of both the husband and the wife. The data are also analysed for particular categories of couples: those in which the wife is a housewife, couples where the husband is unemployed, couples who have a child which was pre-maritally conceived, and couples who have dependent children. There are clear and interesting differences in the demographic characteristics of couples who successfully petition on the various grounds, suggesting that the law is used in different ways by different couples. Reasons for the observed patterns are considered. The data provide some basis for assessing the possible repercussions on divorce of socioeconomic changes, and for informed discussion on whether and how divorce law might sensibly be improved.
Proximate determinants of fertility in the Kathmandu valley, Nepal: an anthropological case study
Authors: Ross J.L. , Blangero J. , Goldstein M. C. , Schuler S.
Published: July 2008

This article employs the analytical model of Bongaarts and Potter to compare the proximate determinants of fertility among three populations in Nepal's Kathmandu valley with the following characteristics: (1) high and low caste, (2) urban and urban fringe residence, and (3) users and non-users of contraception. It is shown that while Nepal, as a whole, is firmly entrenched in Phase 1 of the fertility transition, each of the populations studied has begun to experience a demographic transition to different degrees. In fact, greater progress in controlling fertility has been made than previously known.
Fertility levels, trends and differentials in Kuwait
Authors: Kohli K. L. , Al-Omaim Musa'ad H.
Published: July 2008

This paper examines the levels, trends, patterns and Kuwaiti-non-Kuwaiti differentials in fertility, by socioeconomic variables and the major factors that may account for recent changes. Kuwaiti fertility is very high: in 1980, the crude birth rate was about 47 and the total fertility was 6–8 per woman. Childbearing still extends to later ages but fertility in the early and middle reproductive years has declined recently, as a result of the rise in age at marriage and the fall in the proportion of currently married women in the younger age groups. Non-Kuwaiti fertility is consistently lower, with total fertility at about 69% of the Kuwaiti level. This differential cannot be explained by the age structure of the populations alone. Analysis of completed fertility by education and economic activity status indicates an inverse relationship.
Fertility in Pakistan during the 1970s
Authors: Shah Iqbal H. , Pullum Thomas W. , Irfan Muhammad
Published: July 2008

A survey conducted in 1975, as part of the World Fertility Survey programme, provided evidence that fertility began to decline in Pakistan during the early 1970s. Because of the low level of contraceptive use recorded in that survey, the fertility decline was attributed to delayed marriage. However, a second and similar survey conducted approximately 5 years later showed almost exactly the same pattern of very recent decline, and indeed a reduction in contraceptive use. The two surveys disagreed for the period of overlap. It is concluded that there were essentially no changes in fertility during the decade, and that it remained at pre-1970 levels.
Contraceptive knowledge and attitudes in urban Ilorin, Nigeria
Authors: Oni Gbolahan A.
Published: July 2008

Examination of the effect of various socioeconomic, cultural and demographic characteristics of married women in Ilorin, Nigeria, who are in their prime childbearing ages, on their contraceptive knowledge and on their attitudes towards modern contraception shows that only the woman's education, age and area of residence within the city have significant independent effects on contraceptive knowledge. More than 90% of the women interviewed thought that women should be free to practise family planning. Also, more than 95% of all the women believed that too frequent births could endanger the health of the mother and her children. However, only the women with previous contraceptive knowledge overwhelmingly (more than 80%) thought that the best way to prevent too frequent births is by family planning. On the contrary, 66.5% of those without previous contraceptive knowledge before this study suggested that traditional abstinence should be used and only 28.9% suggested family planning. Adequate awareness of the availability and usefulness of family planning methods can influence attitudes of women towards contraception and may also enhance contraceptive use.
Reproductive patterns and thalassaemia major
Authors: Cowan Judith , Kerr Charles
Published: July 2008

A study of families affected by thalassaemia major demonstrated that before antenatal diagnosis became an option, premature curtailment of reproduction was the most common parental response to their understanding of the genetic implications of the diagnosis. Subsequently parents of younger patients used antenatal diagnosis to meet or almost meet their birth expectations. There was no evidence that antenatal diagnosis contributed to any process of ‘compensating’ for existing affected offspring.
Effect of infant mortality on subsequent fertility in pakistan and Sri Lanka
Authors: Vaninadha Rao K. , Beaujot Roderic
Published: July 2008

The relation between infant mortality and fertility is studied using data from the 1975 fertility surveys in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It is found that the unadjusted data support child replacement, but that this is much less the case once controls are introduced for demographic and socioeconomic factors. Replacement is slightly more pronounced when there are fewer surviving male children.
Determinats of natural fertility in Sudan
Authors: Khalifa M. A.
Published: July 2008

The fertility of the Sudanese population (North) is close to natural. The high observed fertility rate in Sudan is found to be a function of the high proportion married and ineffective family planning procedures. The main inhibitor is prolonged lactational amenorrhoea. The high level of fertility exists in spite of a low level of fecundability. The duration of separation between spouses, due to temporary or seasonal migration of husbands, and the pathological causes of high primary sterility, which contribute to the low fecundability, need further investigation.
Contraceptive experience and attitudes to motherhood of teenage mothers
Authors: Ineichen Bernard
Published: July 2008

Sexual experience is increasingly common among teenagers. Evidence suggests that while many teenage pregnancies are unintended, teenagers remain less than totally effective users of contraception. Among a sample of 102 teenage mothers, only two-thirds had ever used contraception, although only a quarter of the pregnancies were planned. About half of the teenagers were upset on hearing the initial news of the pregnancy; half of these had been using the pill, which in many cases had been given up without another form of contraception substituted. These girls present a formidable challenge to providers of contraceptive services, especially in view of the restricted opportunities available to working-class girls.
Breast-feeding in Bangladesh
Authors: Ahamed M. Mohiuddin
Published: July 2008

In data from the Bangladesh Fertility Survey on 4998 live births, the mean duration of breast-feeding in Bangladesh was 27·3 months. Duration of breast-feeding was positively related with the age of women. Female children were breast-fed for periods about 5 months shorter than for male children. Children born to urban mothers of all age groups were breast-fed for shorter durations than children born to rural mothers of all age groups. The duration of breast-feeding decreased with the increase of education of mother.
Role of the environment in the decline of infant mortality: an analysis of the 1911 Census of England and Wales
Authors: Watterson Patricia A.
Published: July 2008

This study tests the proposition that the contribution of environmental factors to the reduction of infant mortality early in the twentieth century was greater than that made by the alleviation of poverty. The estimates were obtained from retrospective reports of women enumerated at the 1911 Census, and covered the period from approximately 1895 to 1910. Infant mortality by father's occupation underwent an average decline of 35% from a peak infant mortality rate (IMR) of 132, with wide variation. The removal of poor (usually urban) residential conditions was probably associated with the decline, but, except at the extremes, income did not explain the differences. In the 97 great towns, the subject of this study, where the average decline in IMR was also 35% from a peak of 146, the rate of urbanization over 20 years accounted for a significant proportion of the differential decline, and measures of poverty added little to the explanation. This conclusion survived multivariate analysis using urban development and poverty level as explanatory variables, and controlling for fertility decline and selective migration.
Modernization and consanguineous marriage in Beirut
Authors: Khlat Myriam , Halabi Suzan
Published: July 2008

Recent data do not demonstrate any trend away from consanguineous marriages in the urban Middle East. The continued observance of this preferential custom may correspond to the persistence of an archaic trait among urban dwellers; if this holds true, then one would expect consanguineous couples to conform more to the traditional family pattern than others. In order to test this hypothesis, 100 women married to a relative and 100 matched controls, selected from a hospital setting in Beirut, were interviewed with respect to their household type (nuclear/extended), residential pattern (proximity of parents and parents-in-law's residence to theirs), contacts with family and sex definitions. A substantial proportion of the respondents comply with the traditional norms prevalent in the Middle East (25–55%, according to the criterion), but no difference is detectable between cases and controls in this respect.
Recent secular trends in dizygotic twinning rates in Europe
Authors: James William H.
Published: July 2008

In all European countries for which data exist, there was a maternal-age-specific decline in dizygotic twinning rates during the 1960s. For most of these countries, this decline continued through the 1970s, but in a few it apparently ceased. The causes of the declines and of their abatement are unknown. However, there were declines in sperm quality during the 1960s and 1970s in some parts of the world, including parts of Europe, and it is speculated here that this decline in sperm quality may be related to the decline in dizygotic twinning.
Maternal characteristics and the distribution of birthweight standardized for gestational age
Authors: Pickering R. M.
Published: July 2008

Using routinely collected data for 184,000 Scottish singleton live births in 1980–82, nine maternal factors were related to changes in the distribution of birthweight for given gestational age. Maternal height and marital status were associated with overall shifts in the distribution. In contrast, social class, a previous perinatal death or two or more previous spontaneous abortions in multiparae were primarily associated with increased risk of a small-for-gestational-age infant. A history of caesarean section or three or more previous live births was associated with increased risk of a large-for-gestational-age infant. The results of this population study were generally consistent with reported hospital-based findings.
Biosocial behaviour cycles: a field study in an east indian village community
Authors: Gast Barbara , Meier-Koll Alfred
Published: July 2008

Many physiological functions of the human body as well as human behaviour are regulated by endogenous rhythms. While circadian rhythms with periods of about 24 hr serve to adjust body functions and patterns of behaviour to the geophysical day/night cycle, intrinsic rhythms with shorter periods, called ultradian cycles, subdivide the 24-hr interval. For example, motor activity, perception and cognitive style are influenced by an intrinsic cycle of about 1½ hr. Despite numerous laboratory studies, the functions of ultradian rhythms are as yet unknown. In this field study, endogenous short-term cycles were observed in the daily behavioural patterns of illiterate individuals living without artificial time-cues in a small East Indian village community. Time series analysis of the result provides additional evidence that behavioural patterns of adults as well as infants and children living under natural conditions may be regulated by intrinsic rhythms with period intervals of 1–3 hr. Furthermore ultradian behaviour cycles in single subjects can be synchronized within a common time-frame. This suggests that intrinsic ultradian cycles may serve to organize daily behaviour patterns for optimal co-ordination and satisfaction of individual and common demands.
Contraceptive choice in an urban clinic in nigeria
Authors: Ogedengbe O. K. , Giwa-Osagie O. F. , Ola R. , Fasan M. O.
Published: July 2008

Contraceptive choice in the first 1075 acceptors at an urban clinic in Lagos has been studied. An IUD was the most popular choice followed by the injectable contraceptive and the pill. Interval tubal ligation was chosen by some patients. Acceptors of injectables were older women of high parity and lower educational standard while pill acceptors were of lower parity and higher educational level. The IUD was acceptable to all ages and parities except those with only one child or none.

Loss to follow-up and the wish to plan another pregnancy were the commonest reasons for discontinuing contraception. Medical reasons for discontinuing the IUD were pain, menstrual disorder, accidental pregnancy and expulsion/perforation, and for discontinuing injectables the reasons were menstrual disorder, accidental pregnancy and raised blood pressure.
Husband–wife similarities in different components of the WAIS IQ test
Authors: Mascie-Taylor C. G. N. , Harrison G. A. , Hiorns R. W. , Gibson J. B.
Published: July 2008

Examination of 150 husband–wife pairs from the Otmoor villages of Oxfordshire for levels of similarity in their performance of seven subtests of the WAIS IQ test showed significant positive correlation in five subtests but not in digit span or digit symbol. In no test was there any relation between level of spouse similarity and length of marriage. Scores were varyingly associated with several factors known to be related to total IQ, such as social class and nature of education. When the effects of these factors on IQ variation were removed statistically most of the spouse similarity disappeared. However there remained a significant residual similarity in vocabulary performance and some suggestion of one in similarities and block design.
Parental characteristics and partner choice: some evidence for Oedipal imprinting
Authors: Wilson Glenn D. , Barrett Paul T.
Published: July 2008

Do girls fall in love with an image of their father? This study tested the hypothesis that, in choosing a partner, people tend to replicate the physical and mental attributes of their opposite-sex parent more than of the same-sex parent. A sample of 314 women, mostly in their late teens and describing themselves as ‘in love’, supplied details of their boyfriends and parents. A tendency for the boyfriend's eye colour to match that of the father more than of the mother was found, as well as a tendency for girls to replicate the age and dominance relationships of the parental partnership in their own relationship. These effects were very small and of marginal significance.
Modernization and childlessness among the governorates of the Arab Republic of Egypt, 1976
Authors: Poston Dudley L. , El-Badry Samia M.
Published: July 2008

This paper examines the degree to which childlessness is influenced by levels of modernization among the governorates of the Arab Republic of Egypt. In 1976, the higher the levels of modernization, the lower the rates of childlessness among women aged 30 and over, and the higher the rates of childlessness among women aged 20–30. The implications of these results for fertility and development are discussed.
Marital relationships in couples seeking donor insemination
Authors: Humphrey Michael , Humphrey Heather
Published: July 2008

Findings are reported on 100 couples who had requested donor insemination as a means of circumventing male infertility. Twelve couples dropped out, but the remainder were graded for personal acceptability. Forty-six couples were recommended with only minor reservations if any, 40 were seen as unsatisfactory in varying degree, and two were rejected owing to gross marital and sexual problems. In one couple, early marital breakdown after childbirth occurred.

A strong sense of mutual commitment may be the norm in such couples but exchange of affection between partners, as measured by the Ryle marital patterns test, was less vivid than in an earlier study of childless couples waiting to adopt. The infertile husband may be in particular need of emotional support from his wife, and a careful appraisal of the marriage seems warranted before treatment.
Son preference in Bangladesh: an emerging barrier to fertility regulation
Authors: Amin Ruhul , Mariam A.G.
Published: July 2008

This study investigates the effect of son preference on contraceptive use and desire for additional children using national level survey data from Bangladesh for the years 1969 and 1979. Son preference had a negative effect on contraceptive use and a positive effect on the desire for additional children regardless of socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. This adverse effect of son preference on fertility regulation seemed to have persisted over the years. Relevant socioeconomic conditions in Bangladesh are described.
Household extension and reproductive behaviour in Taiwan
Authors: Stokes C. Shannon , LeClere Felicia B. , Hsieh Yeu-Sheng
Published: July 2008

The influence of household type on reproductive behaviour is examined for a national probability sample of Taiwanese women. In spite of remarkable social and economic development over the past three decades, extended families are still widely found in Taiwan. Women in extended households have only slightly higher fertility preferences and current fertility than women in nuclear families once marital duration is controlled. Although women in extended households marry earlier and receive more family help with child care than women in nuclear households, such factors are no longer sufficient to produce major differentials in reproductive behaviour. The findings suggest that preferences for smaller families and low fertility need not await a transformation to a nuclear family structure.
Variation of the human secondary sex ratio and lethal recessive X-linked mutations
Authors: Astolfi P. , Zei G.
Published: July 2008

Sex ratio at birth was studied in relation to grandparental age, to enquire into the effect of the accumulation of X-linked recessive lethal mutations. From the data of the tenth census of the Italian population two samples of women having a live-born only child were examined: the first from some provinces of northern and central Italy, the second from the island of Sardinia.

Besides maternal grandfather's and grandmother's ages, the mother's age and some socioeconomic factors such as the woman's educational level, her urbanization index and time were included in a multiple regression analysis model. In both areas the results show a significant decrease of the sex ratio as grandpaternal age increases, a weaker effect of grandmaternal age, and a strong decrease when maternal age increases; this last effect is probably due to physiological factors, in addition to the genetic ones.

Differences between the partial regression coefficients of the two areas, though not significant, reflect the different socioeconomic and cultural conditions, which affect the sex ratio. From the partial regression coefficients on the grandpaternal age an estimate of the mutation rate was obtained.
Factors affecting acceptability of long-acting contraceptive injections in a rural Egyptian Community
Authors: Younis M. N. , Nadeem N. El Messeri , Salem H. I. , Hamed A. F. , Ahmed A. , El-Masry G. , Hamza A.
Published: July 2008

This study was carried out in four adjacent villages in Lower Egypt with a combined population of 24,000. A team of social workers and physicians worked together to introduce the injectable contraceptive depomedroxyprogesterone acetate as a post-partum long-acting contraceptive to the community leaders and the villagers at several meetings. Postpartum women who agreed to use the drug were defined as acceptors (591) and those who did not were defined as rejectors (715). The incidence of polygamy was higher among the rejectors, and rejectors' husbands had more children from their other wives. Acceptors had more previous pregnancies and children of both sexes than rejectors. The interval between the last two pregnancies was shorter among the rejectors. A greater percentage of acceptors had previously used another contraceptive. The commonest reasons for rejection were desire for further pregnancy (69%), health problems (11%) and desire for another method of contraception (8%). Religious factors figured in only 3% of cases.
Geographical mobility and IQ components
Authors: Macbeth H. M. , Harrison G. A. , Gibson J. B.
Published: July 2008

In relation to two measures of the mobility involved in the migration histories of individuals now resident in the Otmoor villages of Oxfordshire, selectivity for components of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale is clearly demonstrated. However, this selectivity is reconsidered in the light of other covariates of mobility, where these also relate to IQ, for example, some measures of temporal and socioeconomic variation. When correction is made for these, the frequency of highly significant correlations is greatly reduced, suggesting that much of the selectivity operates within the associations between mobility, IQ, and the confounding temporal and socioeconomic variables. There remains, even after removal of the effects of age, class and occupation-type, a pattern of significant association between some components of verbal IQ and the measures of mobility.
Breast-feeding pattern in an urban Nigerian community
Authors: Oni Gbolahan A.
Published: July 2008

The paper examines the pattern of breast-feeding among women still in their prime childbearing ages (15–35 years) in Ilorin, the capital city of Kwara state in Nigeria. While breast-feeding is still a common practice among urban women, there is wide variation in the duration of breast-feeding depending on the socioeconomic characteristics of the mothers. Mother's education and father's education have very strong negative associations with duration of breast-feeding. Use of contraception also has a significant independent but negative effect on breast-feeding duration. Christians continue breast-feeding for shorter periods than Muslims. The introduction of supplementary feeding to the infant occurs in this population much earlier than is recommended by various authorities. The dangers inherent in this pattern of infant feeding are discussed.
Acceptance of genetic services: a study of physicians in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Authors: Jayasekara Rohan , Kristl Gina Barrett , Wertelecki Wladimir
Published: July 2008

A survey of 302 physicians from Colombo, Sri Lanka, reveals a strong overall acceptance of genetic counselling, prenatal diagnosis of genetic disorders and therapeutic abortion. Demographic and experiential factors, especially being older and having children, were associated with acceptance of genetic services. There was little support for prenatal diagnosis in order to satisfy curiosity about the sex of the fetus. The results of this analysis were compared to those from a study of physicians in Arizona, USA.
The laws of Taharat HaMishpacha: potential effects on fertility
Authors: Gardin Susan K.
Published: July 2008

The laws observed among Orthodox Jews regulating coital activity according to menstrual cycle phase (the laws of Taharat HaMishpacha), in a population that generally does not use contraception, have potentially important effects on fertility. Analysis of these effects based on menstrual cycle and ovulatory phase lengths for women in the childbearing years shows that the majority of cycles are potentially exposed to coital activity during a fertile period and the increased likelihood of coitus following abstinence has potentially fertility-enhancing effects. For the individual woman with a predominance of short cycles, delays in conception are probable.
Breast-feeding practice in Norway 1860–1984
Authors: Liestøl Knut , Rosenberg Margit , Walløe Lars
Published: July 2008

Data from birth records with information on previously born children from three maternity hospitals in Norway have been used to study the trend in breast-feeding practice from 1860 to 1984. During the whole period, the percentage of women breast-feeding for at least 1 week was remarkably high, above 90%. The results show a fairly stable duration of breast-feeding up until 1920, at least 3 months in approximately 80% of the women. After that year, the distribution of the duration of breast-feeding changed dramatically. The shortest durations were found in the late 1960s, when only about 30% lactated for 3 months or more. The duration then increased quickly, so that at the beginning of the 1980s about 80% of the women were again breast-feeding for at least 3 months.

By multiple regression methods, the relationships of several independent variables to the duration of breast-feeding were investigated. Married women lactated for 1·5–3 months longer than unmarried, the difference being largest before 1920. First-born children were breast-fed for a little shorter time than second and later-born children. Until World War II women of lowest social strata had the longest durations of breast-feeding, and then the situation was reversed, women of highest social strata continuing the longest.
Community-level determinants of infant mortality in Mexico
Authors: Holian John
Published: July 2008

Data from pregnancy histories collected by the 1976–77 Mexican Fertility Survey show wide variations in infant mortality among a sample of 125 communities. There are also large infant mortality differentials by population size, economic status, access variables, utilities, medical facilities and schools. These community-level factors, which have been little used in previous studies, are highly correlated and do not appear to affect infant survival independently of population size. As such, community size serves as a summary measure of a locality's overall level of development and comparative risk of early death for its young inhabitants.
Familial aggregation of consanguineous marriages in Japan
Authors: Imaizumi Yoko
Published: July 2008

The distribution of consanguineous marriages among spouses and husband's and wife's parents, was analysed using data on 9225 families in six widely different areas of Japan. With two exceptions, the consanguinity rates for husband's and wife's parents are higher in related spouses than in unrelated spouses. The familial aggregation of consanguinity was slightly decreased in more recent marriages, a change which began recently with couples who have abandoned the more traditional Japanese way of life.
Contraception in women over forty
Authors: Riphagen F. E. , Fortney J. A. , Koelb S.
Published: July 2008

Contraception in women over the age of 40 has received little attention, and accurate data are not readily available. This paper compares data from surveys from the United States and five major countries in Western Europe. Consideration is given to the possible effect on these women of the threat of reduced availability of suitable contraceptive methods as a result of current developments within society at large. This is of particular importance as it appears that, especially in Western Europe, contraception is underutilized in this age group. The benefits and risks of various methods of contraception are discussed. Use of the pill by older women remains controversial. Misconceptions about pill use and the IUD seem to be widespread among women of all ages.
Compensatory payments and vasectomy acceptance in urban Sri Lanka
Authors: de Silva V. , Thapa S. , Wilkens L. R. , Farr M. G. , Jayasinghe K. , McMahan J. E.
Published: July 2008

This paper examines the effects of different levels of payment on the acceptance of vasectomy in urban Sri Lanka. Data from 496 vasectomized men are analysed by socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, post-operative problems encountered and attitudes towards vasectomy by amount of payment. The findings show that higher levels of payments have significantly enhanced the adoption of vasectomy, particularly among the low economic status group. The time of vasectomy in relation to the youngest child's age was influenced by the payment scheme. Higher monetary payments have not induced men to become sterilized who would be considered ineligible for the operation. A high level of satisfaction with the decision to have a vasectomy, regardless of payment level, was found. There was no systematic influence of payment levels on post-operative problems.
Spouse selection in Canada, 1921–78: an examination by age, sex and religion
Authors: Basavarajappa K. G. , Norris M. J. , Halli S. S.
Published: July 2008

This paper presents time series data on spouse selection in Canada for the period 1921–78. Homogamous and endogamous trends are examined by age, sex and religion. There is considerable variation in the level of endogamy amongst religious groups. With respect to age, marriages were increasingly homogamous up to 1971 and thereafter less so. Younger males increasingly tended to select brides of their own age group until the 1960s, while older males have been increasingly heterogamous since World War II. Females under 20 years of age tend to select older grooms; other brides show no clear trend in their spouse selection by age.
Fertility and family planning in China: an analysis of provincial patterns
Authors: Poston Dudley L.
Published: July 2008

This paper examines patterns of fertility and family planning in China, particularly by an analysis of recently available provincial data for the period around 1981. Fertility rates in the more urban and developed parts of China are very low, approximating those of countries with the lowest fertility rates in the world. Family planning in these areas is also very common and widespread. The more rural and interior areas of China, however, are characterized by much higher fertility rates and by much lower family planning rates. Family planning variables are very good predictors of provincial fertility.
Marital fertility in polygynous unions in Nigeria
Authors: Adewuyi Alfred A.
Published: July 2008

Using data from the Nigerian Fertility Survey of 1981–82, the effect of polygyny on fertility is examined, by age cohort, for four regions of the country. Comparison of mean completed and current fertility suggests that changes in reproductive behaviour are taking place in Nigeria, restricting the fertility of women in polygynous unions, especially of younger women, when socioeconomic factors are taken into account.
Lactation and post-partum amenorrhoea: a study based on data from three Norwegian cities 1860–1964
Authors: Liestøl Knut , Rosenberg Margit , Walløe Lars
Published: July 2008

Medical records from maternity clinics in three Norwegian cities, Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim, have been used to study the relationship between lactation and post-partum amenorrhoea during the period 1860–1964. Resumption of menses after a period of post-partum amenorrhoea has been examined separately during lactation, after cessation of lactation, and in the absence of lactation, in 5250 cases. During ongoing lactation the median duration of post-partum amenorrhoea was found by survival analysis to be 12 months for women who had given birth before 1900 and 6 months for women who had given birth after 1900. In a Cox regression analysis, age of menarche and parity were found to influence the duration of post-partum amenorrhoea, in addition to the child's birth year. With a later age of menarche there was longer amenorrhoea, and primiparae resumed menses earlier than multiparae. After cessation of breast-feeding the median duration of amenorrhoea was 1 month, the only variable significantly influencing it being the age of menarche, a younger age showing a shorter duration. In the absence of lactation the survivor function started to decline after 3–4 weeks, and had a half-life of 2 months.

None of the variables indicating the woman's social condition seemed to influence the duration of amenorrhoea. The decline in the duration of post-partum amenorrhoea during ongoing lactation from 1860 until today is therefore probably caused by a changed breast-feeding pattern rather than by improved nutrition for women giving birth.
Incidence of hysterectomy and tubal ligation in public hospitals in South Australia, 1980–82
Authors: Yusuf Farhat , Briggs Dora K.
Published: July 2008

This paper presents information on the incidence of hysterectomy and tubal ligation in South Australia in the period 1980–82, and on the age, marital status and ethnicity of women undergoing these procedures in public hospitals during the period. A typical woman undergoing one of these procedures was married or previously married and in her mid-40s for hysterectomy or mid-30s for tubal ligation. South Australian women had a lifetime chance of one in six of undergoing hysterectomy and of one in five of undergoing tubal ligation. The findings are consonant with the suggestion that increasing numbers of women are choosing forms of sterilization as means of contraception.
Nutrition, infant feeding and post-partum amenorrhoea in rural Bangladesh
Authors: Ford Kathleen , Huffman Sandra
Published: July 2008

The duration of amenorrhoea among a group of chronically malnourished women in a rural area of Bangladesh is examined by application of multivariate hazard models with time-varying covariates, including the influence of maternal nutrition, seasonality and patterns of infant feeding. Both maternal weight at pregnancy termination and the pattern of infant feeding affected the length of post-partum amenorrhoea. Analyses focused on season of birth showed the importance of differences by education in infant feeding.
Weekly variation in work-output of pluckers in tea gardens in northern West Bengal
Authors: Roy Subrata K. , Majumder Partha P.
Published: July 2008

Data on daily work-output (kg of leaves plucked) of Oraon pluckers in tea gardens of Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal, India, are analysed. While on any particular day of the week there is no significant difference in work-output of males and females, there is a significant between-day variation in work-output for both sexes. Mean work-output steadily decreases as the week progresses, perhaps due to the cumulative effect of fatigue.
The third birth in Great Britain
Authors: Wright Robert E. , Ermisch John F. , Hinde P. R. Andrew , Joshi Heather E.
Published: July 2008

The relationship between female labour force participation, and other socioeconomic factors, and the probability of having a third birth is examined, using British data collected in the 1980 Women and Employment Survey, by hazard regression modelling with time-varying covariates. The results demonstrate the strong association between demographic factors, e.g. age at first birth and birth interval and subsequent fertility behaviour. Education appears to have little effect. Surprisingly, women who have spent a higher proportion of time as housewives have a lower risk of having a third birth. This finding is in sharp disagreement with the conventional expectation that cumulative labour force participation supports lower fertility. These findings are briefly compared with similar research carried out in Sweden.
A survey of contraception in five West European countries
Authors: Riphagen F. E. , Lehert P.
Published: July 2008

In 1984 and 1985, a survey was conducted of 7696 women aged 15–44 living in Italy, France, Great Britain, Spain and the Federal Republic of Germany. The aim of the study was to examine the use of contraceptive methods, the differences in contraceptive use, knowledge of fertility, communication about contraception, motives for choice and the perceptions held by women regarding contraceptive methods, particularly oral contraception. The results show important differences between the countries studied.
Recent trends in contraceptive sterilization in Flanders
Authors: Lodewijckx E.
Published: July 2008

Elective sterilization started to spread rather late in Flanders. Despite the sharp increase of this contraceptive method since the end of the 1970s, its frequency is still lower than in many neighbouring countries and much lower than in the US and Canada, mainly due to the lag in male sterilization. Further increase in contraceptive sterilization and a greater participation of men is expected in the near future.
Demographic components of seasonality of pregnancy
Authors: Kallan Jeffrey E. , Udry J. Richard
Published: July 2008

Previous studies of the seasonality of pregnancy and birth have typically been based on monthly numbers or proportions of pregnancies or births (i.e. their distribution throughout the year) without any explicit accounting of the size of the population actually at risk of pregnancy by month. From data on monthly populations at risk and monthly probabilities of pregnancy this paper determines the relative contribution of each component to the monthly distribution of pregnancies. The data come from the National Survey of Family Growth, Cycle III. While there is some seasonality in the size of the at-risk population, it contributes little to the overall monthly variation of pregnancy, which is determined mainly by seasonality of pregnancy probability (fecundability).
Nursing behaviour and its relation to duration of post-partum amenorrhoea in an Andean community
Authors: Vitzthum V. J.
Published: July 2008

Nuñoa is a high altitude rural Peruvian community characterized by socioeconomic stratification and differential access to the market economy. Nursing practices and the effects of nursing are also stratified; this translates into a risk of menses at 12 months post-partum nearly seven times greater in wealthier than in poorer women.

Most nursing occurs in the morning, among those who practise on-demand breast-feeding. Nursing episodes are clustered into sessions; the amount of breast-feeding is regulated by varying the number of episodes per session rather than by changing the duration of suckling episodes or the frequency of sessions per hour. Thus, resumption of ovulation is not dependent on the variable spacing of nursing episodes or sessions. The components of nursing activity most likely to be responsible for variation in the duration of post-partum amenorrhoea in these nursing women are mean session duration and mean number of episodes per session.

The mean duration of morning nursing sessions is negatively associated with infant's age, reflecting the greater reliance of younger children on breast-milk. The mean duration of afternoon nursing sessions is positively associated with mother's age, independent of infant's age, possibly reflecting maternal age-related variation in milk production capabilities. Baby minding by older daughters may also help to explain variation in afternoon nursing.
Age at first intercourse
Authors: Wielandt Hanne , Boldsen Jesper
Published: July 2008

In 1984–85 a representative sample of 286 Danish women and 336 men aged 16–20 years were interviewed about their sexual debut. Seventy-four females (25·9%) and 101 males (30·1%) had not yet experienced sexual intercourse. A maximum likelihood estimation method was used to establish the age distribution at sexual debut. This takes into account knowledge of age at interview among the non-experienced respondents and of the few who did not report age at sexual debut. The median age at first sexual intercourse was close to 16·8 years for both females and males. This appeared to be a consequence of age at debut declining among women and remaining unchanged among males during the preceding 20 years.
Menarche, menopause and reproduction in the Kipsigis of Kenya
Authors: Mulder Monique Borgerhoff
Published: July 2008

Among the Kipsigis, a population of south-western Kenya who do not use contraception, age at menarche and age at last live birth could be determined for a cohort of post-menopausal women, through reference to clitoridectomy ceremonies that can easily be dated. While a woman's age at last live birth was strongly associated with the length of her reproductive lifespan, completed family size was better predicted by age at menarche. The demographic implications of variation in menarcheal age are discussed.
Son preference and child replacement in Bangladesh: a new look at the child survival hypothesis
Authors: Sufian A. J. M. , Johnson Nan E.
Published: July 2008

Birth history data from women in the 1975–76 Bangladesh Fertility Survey were used to search for intentions to replace dead children. The median intervals between successive births of orders (i) and (i + 1) were not shorter when some siblings of orders below (i) had died. Nor was the median duration between the death of a child and the first posthumous birth shorter when the dead child was a boy or when it was survived by fewer than two brothers. The median intervals were generally shorter when the mother lived in an urban rather than a rural area but this difference was attributable only to the shorter duration of breast-feeding by urban women. These results disputed the notions that the timing of births was deliberately quicker to replace a dead child, that attempts at replacement were sex-selective, or that child replacement intentions were stronger in urban than in rural populations.
Biological influence of infant death on fertility
Authors: Chandran P. E.
Published: July 2008

This study examines the biological influence of infant death on subsequent fertility in three Asian countries—Indonesia, Nepal and Sri Lanka, comparing the birth interval between two consecutive births up to the sixth birth by survival status of the preceding infant among breast-feeding women not using contraception.

There is consistent evidence of biological influence in each of the three countries. Infant death shortens birth intervals by up to 30%, though its influence varies between the countries.
Ethnic differentials in early childhood mortality in Nepal
Authors: Choe Minja Kim , Retherford Robert D. , Gubhaju Bhakta B. , Thapa Shyam
Published: July 2008

This paper investigates the association of early childhood mortality (between birth and second birthday) with ethnicity in Nepal, based on data from the 1976 Nepal Fertility Survey, which was part of the World Fertility Survey. The approach is through a series of hazard models, which incorporate ethnicity, year of birth, mother's illiteracy, father's illiteracy, rural-urban residence, region, sex, maternal age, survival of previous birth, previous birth interval, and breast-feeding as covariates. Ethnic differentials in early childhood mortality are not explained by the other socioeconomic and demographic covariates, except for a modest effect of illiteracy, but the remaining covariates explain a great deal of variability in early childhood mortality itself. Analysis using an improved specification of breast-feeding as an age-varying covariate indicates, on average, that breast-feeding, relative to not breast-feeding, reduces age-specific mortality risks during the first 2 years of life by 76%, a very large effect.
Men's attitudes about family planning in Dakar, Senegal
Authors: Posner Jill K. , Mbodji Fara
Published: July 2008

A survey of men's behaviour and opinions with respect to family planning, undertaken in Dakar in 1986, shows that contrary to popular belief, acceptance of contraception at least for the purpose of spacing births is substantial, even among men from the most conservative backgrounds. Actual use of contraceptives varied considerably across occupations. Among functionaries and students, it ranges between 25 and 49%. Among the working class, prevalence is low, especially within marriage. Uncertainty about the position of Islam regarding fertility control is apparent even among the highly educated and is given as a reason for rejecting use of contraceptives.
Determinants of birth intervals in Sudan
Authors: Khalifa Mona A.
Published: July 2008

Using individual birth history data from the Sudan Fertility Survey, 1979, parity-related differences in fertility are demonstrated, as well as differences between socioeconomic groups. Rural women, women with no education and those married to uneducated husbands show rapid parity progression and its cumulative effects on fertility which are consistent over all birth intervals. Urban women, women with some education and those married to educated husbands, however, go rapidly through their second and third birth intervals and then more slowly at higher parities. A limitation of the study was the inability to control fully for the effects of breast-feeding and contraception.

There is evidence for a reduction in high parity births,' starting in the 1970s.
The seasonality of births in Canada
Authors: Halli S. S.
Published: July 2008

Earlier studies on the seasonality of births indicate that a major peak occurs in August and September and a minor peak in January and February. This study uses the 1984 Canadian Fertility Survey data on reproductive history to examine birth and pregnancy seasonalities, and shows that the ‘worst’ months for births are January and February and the ‘best’ months are March, April and May. There is no systematic pattern in the seasonality of pregnancies, possibly because effective birth control allows couples to plan the timing of births.
Menstrual characteristics of mothers of twins
Authors: Bønnelykke Birgitte
Published: July 2008

The menarcheal age and frequency of menstrual disorders in mothers of dizygotic (DZ) and monozygotic (MZ) twins born in Denmark in 1984 or 1985 were compared with a control sample of mothers of singleton infants born in the same period. Compared to control mothers, mothers of DZ twins had a lower menarcheal age and a lower frequency of menstrual irregularities—menstrual cycles exceeding 5 weeks duration, varying length of menstrual cycles and episodes of menostasia. Mothers of MZ twins had a higher frequency of intermenstrual bleeding compared to mothers of singletons. All results were adjusted for maternal age and parity. The findings are relevant to the interpretation of aetiological factors leading to twin births and support the hypothesis of differences in sex hormone activity of the mothers of DZ twins in comparison with other women.
Breast-feeding and infant mortality in Norway 1860–1930
Authors: Rosenberg Margit
Published: July 2008

Using medical records from maternity clinics in the two Norwegian cities Oslo and Bergen, the effect of lactation on infant mortality during the period 1860–1930 is examined, comparing those who were and were not breastfed in a total of about 6900 live born infants. The mortality of children not breast-fed was nearly three times that of those who were breast fed. In a Cox regression analysis the infant's year of birth and the mother's marital status were found to influence mortality in addition to lactation. Children born to unmarried mothers experienced a mortality about twice that of those born to married mothers, both during on-going lactation and in the absence of lactation, up to about 1915. Children born in Oslo had a slightly higher mortality than those born in Bergen.

The duration of lactation was found to have a continuing protective effect on infant survival after weaning—the longer the duration, the lower the mortality after cessation of lactation.