bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Emerging patterns of child-spacing in Canada
Authors: Rahim A. , Ram B. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThis study used data from the 1984 Family History Survey conducted by Statistics Canada to examine recent trends and patterns of child-spacing among currently married women. Life table and proportional hazards estimates show that Canadian women, particularly those in younger age groups with higher education and longer work experience, start having children late, but have subsequent children rather quickly. This suggests that such women tend to complete childbearing within a compressed time period.
Breast-feeding and child health in the United States
Authors: Ford Kathleen , Labbok Miriam 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThis paper evaluates the influence of breast-feeding on infectious and allergic diseases in infants and children through an analysis of data from a large national sample of US children. It controls for a large number of maternal and child health, demographic, and socioeconomic variables which have been shown to affect feeding patterns, and it includes several aspects of the feeding pattern in addition to breast-feeding. The results suggest that breast-feeding provides some protection against pneumonia and otitis media in the United States while early introduction of formula may have a separate and negative effect.
Breast-feeding, water and sanitation, and childhood malnutrition in the Philippines
Authors: Magnani Robert J. , Mock Nancy B. , Bertrand William E. , Clay Daniel C. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThis study examines effects and interactions of socioeconomic status, access to water supply and sanitation, and breast-feeding practices in relation to child growth in two provincial cities in the Philippines. Multivariate analysis identified food expenditure per head, education of the household head and gender of the child as significant predictors of nutritional status. The duration of partial and full breast-feeding was negatively (though non-significantly) associated with growth. Sanitation facilities and breast-feeding are, however, important determinants during the first year of life. Among children over 1 year of age, socioeconomic variables and gender are the most important predictors. Breast-feeding is shown to provide more important health benefits for children in lower income households. The need for further studies on the causes of gender differences in nutritional status was apparent.
Gender of children and contraceptive use
Authors: Krishnan Vijaya 
Published: July 2008

SummaryIn 1984, half of married/cohabiting Canadian women aged 18–49 years were using contraception, with sterilisation being the most prevalent method. This study, using data from the 1984 Canadian Fertility Survey of 5315 women aged 18–49 years, found that there was a preference for sons. Women with two sons are more likely to use contraception than those who have had two daughters; the gender of children may have a weak effect on contraceptive behaviour of Canadian couples at higher parities. Sociocultural factors (e.g. education, religion, religiosity) were also found to influence contraceptive behaviour.
Socioeconomic and environmental determinants of child survival in Bangladesh
Authors: Majumder Abul Kashem , Islam S. M. Shafiqul 
Published: July 2008

SummaryDifferentials in child survival in Bangladesh have been examined using a number of socioeconomic and environmental factors on data from the 1989 Bangladesh Fertility Survey. Multivariate analysis reveals that both wife's and husband's education and household electricity show a significant positive association with child survival. The respondent's working status exerts a significant negative influence. Wife's education has a greater influence on child survival in Bangladesh than that of husband's education.
Paediatric care and immunisation among Jordanian children
Authors: Obermeyer Carla Makhlouf , Deykin Eva , Potter Joseph 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThis paper investigates the behavioural aspects of health care use for Jordanian children from birth to 3 years using data from a national survey. Statistical analysis indicate differences in the determinants of the use of paediatric care and immunisation: whereas immunisation coverage was already good in 1983 (and has improved subsequently), paediatric care is used for fewer than half of the children under 1 year of age. Socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the population, especially female education, and maternal health care use, are important determinants of these patterns of child health care. The absence of differences in paediatric care and immunisation by sex of the child are discussed.
Regional mortality differences in Britain, 1931–87: a two dimensional analysis
Authors: Anson Jon 
Published: July 2008

SummaryIn a recent analysis, Illsley, Le Grand & Mullings argued that, over the years 1931–87, regional inequalities in mortality in Britain effectively disappeared for most age groups. The present study reanalyses their data, breaking regional life tables down into their two major components, the level of survivorship, and the shape of the mortality curve. It is shown that whereas there has been a consistent decline in regional inequalities in the level of mortality, there has not been a comparable convergence in the shape of the mortality curves. These shape differences, implaying premature adult mortality, are now the major source of variation among the regions.
Reaction times and intelligence: a comparison of Chinese-American and Anglo-American children
Authors: Jensen Arthur R. , Whang Patricia A. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryChinese-American and Anglo-American school children were compared on a nonverbal test of intelligence (Raven's Progressive Matrices) and on twelve chronometric variables which measure the speed with which basic information processes (e.g. stimulus apprehension, decision, and discrimination) can be carried out. All of these tasks are correlated with psychometric intelligence. The two groups differed significantly on most of the variables, but the differences appear to be multidimensional and are not simply due to a group difference in psychometric intelligence, equivalent to about 5 IQ points in favour of the Chinese-Americans. The results are compared with those of Lynn and his colleagues on British, Japanese, and Hong Kong children, and both consistencies and inconsistencies are found.
Biology and social structure
Authors: Olivier G. , Devigne G. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryAt military recruitment centres in France, data were collected from some 40,000 subjects on their social environment, the amount of education received and occupation, and measurements were taken on height, weight, and performance in tests of mental and physical ability.The secular increase in mean stature is continuing. Offspring of consanguineous unions are of lower mean stature and mental capacity, and it seems that the effect is most marked among those already below average. There is an independent effect of endogamy, but the effect of heterosis seems to be less than previously thought. Family size and composition affect stature, weight and mental capacity, and this effect is independent of socio-professional status.
Attitude of Ntomba society towards the primiparous woman and its biological effects
Authors: Pagezy Helene 
Published: July 2008

SummaryIn the Ntomba of Zaire, observation on weaning patterns shows that the young primipara receives special attention in terms of nutrition and expected activities. Anthropometric examination shows that there is a pronounced effect on physique, the resulting accumulation of fat providing a buffer against seasonal variation in food availability, and allowing her to meet the high energy cost of nursing. The biological effects of these cultural practices suggest that they should be regarded as adaptive.
Fertility of islanders off the northern coast of Sri Lanka
Authors: Fernando Dallas F.S. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThis paper explores factors affecting the fertility of islanders off the north coast of Sri Lanka, the centre of concentration of the Sri Lanka Tamils. The variables contributing most to the fertility variation among Grama Sevaka divisions, are the proportions of elderly in the population, of females employed to total employed, and of females aged 5–14 attending school. Overall, however, only 43% of the total fertility variation is explained, considerably less than in other Sri Lanka areas studied.
Birthweight and reproductive careers
Authors: Carr-Hill R. , Samphier M. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryIt is generally thought that birthweight varies with the sex of the infant, gestational age and parity; there is, however, some controversy as to whether birthweight increases monotonically with parity. Further, some have suggested that maternal height and social class are also important, whilst earlier authors stressed the importance of genetic factors. This paper re-examines these relationships on the basis of an analysis of data on 6472 women who had a sequence of two or more singleton live births. The analysis shows first that the raw birthweights increase up to the fourth birth and that there are strong correlations between successive birthweights. However, when the birthweights are standardized for gestational age, maternal height, parity and sex, the relation between birthweight and parity almost disappears. On the other hand, the correlations between successive birthweights remain among the standardized scores, suggesting that there are other features specific to the mother which affect birthweight.
The contribution of genetic disease to paediatric mortality in a university hospital in bogota
Authors: Bernal J. E. , Ortega G. , Umana A. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThe records of 15 years of paediatric necropsies in the Department of Pathology of the Hospital San Ignacio in Bogota were reviewed and the results classified according to the various types of genetic pathology. It is shown that out of 1463 paediatric necropsies, 377 (25·8%) had either a congenital defect or a disease considered as genetic to some extent. Simple Mendelian diseases and chromosomal disorders account together for more than 5% of the total deaths. When the pathologies with a complex genetic contribution to the aetiology are also taken into account, the figure rises to more than 20%. Overall, the study shows that the burden of genetic pathology is also important in countries, like Colombia, where other causes of death have traditionally been the main concern of public health measures.
Educational attainment and social class in adoptees: genetic and environmental contributions
Authors: Teasdale T. W. , Sørensen T. I. A. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThe number of years of schooling and adult social class of 1417 adoptees are found to correlate with the social class of both their biological and adoptive fathers. For female adoptees the effect of both paternal social class values upon own social class appears to be mediated through the influence of the former upon years of schooling. For male adoptees, some residual direct correlations of paternal social class with offspring's social class, independent of years of schooling in the adoptee, are observed.
Postpartum amenorrhoea and breast-feeding in a Danish sample
Authors: Vestermark Vibeke , Høgdall Claus K. , Plenov Grete , Birch Mikael 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThe duration of postpartum amenorrhoea was studied in a danish sample of 361 women. The median duration of amenorrhoea was 17 weeks. The 25th and 75th percentiles were 10 and 30 weeks, respectively. A significant correlation was found between the duration of postpartum amenorrhoea and of breast-feeding. However, loctation for more than 9 months did not extend the duration of amenorrhoea. Menstruation before weaning occurred in 57% of the women, and 43% terminated breast-feeding before the first menstruation. Four weeks after weaning menstruation had returned in 79% and by 8 weeks after in 93% of the mothers. At 6 months postpartum, frequency of breast-feeding, and of night-time feeding were determinants of amenorrhoea.
Comparison of effects of breast-feeding practices on birth-spacing in three societies: nomadic Turkana, Gainj, and Quechua
Authors: Gray Sandra J. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryVariation in the duration and pattern of breast-feeding contributes significantly to inter-population differences in fertility. In this paper, measures of suckling frequency and intensity are used to compare the effects of breastfeeding practices on the duration of lactational amenorrhoea, and on the length of the birth interval in three prospective studies undertaken during the 1980s, among Quechua Indians of Peru, Turkana nomads of Kenya, and Gainj of Papua New Guinea.In all three societies, lactation is prolonged well into the second year postpartum, and frequent, on-demand breast-feeding is the norm. However, the duration of lactational amenorrhoea and the length of birth intervals vary considerably. Breast-feeding patterns among Gainj and Turkana are similar, but Turkana women resume menses some 3 months earlier than do the Gainj. The average birth interval among the Gainj exceeds that of nomadic Turkana by over 15 months. Suckling activity decreases significantly with increasing age of nurslings among both Gainj and Quechua, but not among Turkana. Earlier resumption of menses among Turkana women may be linked to the unpredictable demands of the pastoral system, which increase day-to-day variation in the number of periods of on-demand breast-feeding, although not in suckling patterns. This effect is independent of the age of infants.The short birth intervals of Turkana women, relative to those of the Gainj, may be related to early supplementation of Turkana nurslings with butterfat and animals' milk, which reduces energetic demands on lactating women at risk of negative energy balance.
Consanguineous marriage within social/occupational class boundaries in Pakistan
Authors: Shami Sajjad A. , Grant Jonathan C. , Bittles Alan H. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryData on patterns of consanguineous marriage were collected from 5340 families resident in eight cities in the Pakistan province of Punjab. To assess whether social and/or occupational class was interacting with con-sanguinity, information also was obtained on the hereditaryqaumto which each family belonged. In the present generation 46·5% of all marriages were contracted at the level of second cousin or closer, with an average coefficient of inbreeding (F) of 0·0286, and the results indicated that in each of the seventeenqaumsthere was strong preference for marriage to a close biological relative. However, significant differences existed in the distribution of consanguineous marriage byqaummembership, which could interfere with the interpretation of studies into the biological effects of inbreeding.
A survey of Papua New Guinean parturients at the Port Moresby General Hospital: sociodemographic and reproductive characteristics
Authors: Klufio Cecil A. , Amoa Apeawusu B. , Kariwiga Grace 
Published: July 2008

SummaryA survey of 673 consecutive Papua New Guinea parturients carried out at the Port Moresby General Hospital between May and June 1990 showed that socioeconomic and educational factors played a part in predicting perinatal death. Mothers who have previously experienced a perinatal death are more likely to experience a second one.
Intercorrelations between menstrual cycle patterns and body dimensions in Austrian women
Authors: Kirchengast Sylvia 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThe relationships between 29 cephalic and post-cephalic body dimensions and the length and regularity of the menstrual cycle, as well as the duration of menstrual bleeding, have been investigated in 327 Austrian women. Five of the eight head measurements and seventeen of the 21 body measurements correlated statistically significantly with the individual menstrual variables. Measures of facial and post-cephalic robustness and the amount of subcutaneous fat tissue correlated negatively with the length of cycle, as well as with the difference between minimum and maximum cycle length, a measure of the cycle regularity. The post-cephalic height and length dimensions correlated significantly positively with bleeding duration. The results indicated a marked influence of body type, especially the amount of subcutaneous fat, on the length and regularity of the menstrual cycle.
Testosterone and religiosity as predictors of sexual attitudes and activity among adolescent males: a biosocial model
Authors: Halpern Carolyn Tucker , Udry J. Richard , Campbell Benjamin , Suchindran Chirayath , Mason George A. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryA biosocial model of the effects of early adolescent testosterone levels and religiosity on adolescent males' sexual attitudes and activity over a 3-year period was examined. Using panel data for approximately 100 boys who were 12·5/13·0 years old at study entry, significant additive effects of free testosterone and frequency of attendance at religious services were demonstrated on the transition to first intercourse and other aspects of sexual behaviour and attitudes. No interactive effects of the two predictors were found. Boys with higher free testosterone levels at study entry who never or infrequently attended religious services were the most sexually active and had the most permissive attitudes. Boys with lower free testosterone who attended services once a week or more were the least active and reported the least permissive attitudes. For some behaviours, differences between free testosterone/attendance groups increased over time, resulting in substantial behavioural differences by the final round of measurement 3 years later.
Genetic similarity and mate selection in Uruguay
Authors: Sans M. , Alvarez I. , Callegari-Jacques S. M. , Salzano F. M. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryIt has been suggested that average genetic similarity, as assessed by blood genetic markers, could influence mate choice in humans. In the present study, average genetic similarity was assessed in 183 couples submitting to paternity determinations in relation to six blood group systems and three HLA loci. Couples in which the putative father was excluded were compared with those in which such exclusion did not occur, and real couples were compared to random pairs. The differences were all statistically non-significant. Possible reasons for the different results found in the previous sample and in the present study are considered.
Education and assortative marriage in Northern and urban Sudan, 1945–79
Authors: Abdelrahman Abdelrahman Ibrahim 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThis study examines the extent of assortative mating for education in Northern Sudan and urban Khartoum. More males than females were found at higher levels of education. Increasingly, people tend to marry persons of equal educational level, but the unequal educational opportunities for males and females have led to the emergence of educational exogamy in which members of different educational levels are more likely to marry from the adjacent educational category than from distant categories. The increasing level of education for both sexes, and especially for females, may in part explain the rising trend in age at marriage.
The end of fertility: age, fecundity and fecundability in women
Authors: Frank Odile , Bianchi P. Grace , Campana Aldo 
Published: July 2008

SummaryOnset of capacity for childbearing in women is dated biologically by menarche, although actual onset may be delayed. The end of childbearing is less understood but recent demographic and biological research on fertility at older ages is clarifying the end of fertility.The demographic view of declining fertility with age is based on age-specific fertility in natural fertility populations, artificial insemination and pregnancy rates by age and World Fertility Survey data. New data from the Demographic and Health Surveys on exposure to the risk of pregnancy shows that whereas older women biologically need longer exposure to pregnancy, exposure declines on behavioural grounds such as duration of marriage. Actual fecundity is obscured by factors of fecundability. Recent research on medically assisted conception is adding to the understanding of declining fecundity with age, especially the relative contributions of endometrial and ovarian ageing.This paper reviews the available information on declining fertility with age and discusses the implications of the extension of fertility through new medical technologies.
Sex preference and third birth intervals in a traditional Indian society
Authors: Nath Dilip C. , Land Kenneth C. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThe traditional preference for sons may be the main hindrance to India's current population policy of two children per family. In this study, the effects of various sociodemographic covariates, particularly sex preference, on the length of the third birth interval are examined for the scheduled caste population in Assam, India. Life table and hazards regression techniques are applied to retrospective sample data. The analysis shows that couples having two surviving sons are less likely to have a third child than those without a surviving son and those with only one surviving son. Age at first marriage, length of preceding birth intervals, age of mother, and household income have strong effects on the length of the third birth interval.
Some correlates of child mortality in the refugee populated regions in Tanzania
Authors: Mbago Maurice C. Y. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryData from the 1988 Tanzania census were used to examine child mortality in three regions populated with Burundi refugees. Logistic and least squares analyses show that for both Tanzanian nationals and refugees low levels of maternal education are associated with high child mortality levels. Children born to mothers who are housewives are associated with low levels of mortality compared to those born to employed mothers, though the results were not statistically significant for the refugees. Maternal demographic status, computed from age and parity, has a strong effect on child survival. Unexpectedly, child mortality was lower where the water source was a well outside the village. Tanzanian mothers who are at highest risk of childbearing are roughly 6·4 times more likely to have a child death than those at lowest risk; the corresponding figure for the refugees is 36·8. This emphasises the need to intensify family planning programmes in these regions.
Infant mortality in Nigeria: effects of place of birth, mother's education and region of residence
Authors: Adetunji Jacob Ayo 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThis paper examines the effects of a child's place of birth, mother's education, region of residence and rural and urban residence on infant mortality in Nigeria between 1965 and 1979, using data from the 1981/82 Nigeria Fertility Survey. Infant mortality rates declined in all regions between 1965 and 1979. Children born in modern health facilities, irrespective of their mothers' place of residence, experienced significantly lower rates of infant mortality than those born elsewhere. Logistic regression analysis showed that all other variables tested were also significant, although some to a lesser degree. Efforts to reduce infant mortality in Nigeria should include policies that rectify rural and urban differentials in the distribution of health facilities and encourage their use.