bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of amniocentesis for genetic purposes on the pregnancy and its outcome
Authors: Davison E. V. , McIntosh A. S. , Roberts D. F. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryAn attempt was made to follow to completion the pregnancies of 2049 women who had amniocentesis for genetic purposes in a single hospital region in northern England. The object of the study was to establish the extent to which complications of pregnancy and fetal problems are attributable to the procedure. Follow-up was complete in 1750 women. Risks to the mother, other than minor abdominal discomfort following the amniocentesis, were minimal. The increase in complications to the pregnancy and delivery, the occurrence of congenital anomalies, spontaneous abortion, and perinatal death, that can be attributed to the procedure of anmiocentesis fall at the lower end of the range previously reported.
Fertility and some determinants of fertility decline in Huaibei Plain, Anhui province, China, 1982
Authors: Yang Quanhe 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThis paper examines the level and trend of fertility in Huaibei Plain, Anhui province, China, since 1950 and considers some determinants of fertility decline. The data used are from the 1/1000 survey of China which was conducted by the Family Planning Commission in 1982.Fertility decline among younger women (aged under 30) is largely due to later age at marriage, the marriage pattern of Huaibei Plain having changed from early and universal marriage to later and universal marriage. Current use of contraception suggests that the family planning programme, in particular the one-child policy (1979), has been the major determinant in fertility decline. The greatest decline in marital fertility occurred among women aged 35+ and is primarily due to contraceptive practice and induced abortion.
Effect of nuptiality, contraception and breast-feeding on fertility in Bangladesh
Authors: Kabir M. , Uddin M. Mosleh 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThe effects of marriage, contraception and post-partum lactational infecundability on fertility in Bangladesh are assessed by applying Bongaarts' formula to survey data for the period 1975–85.Marriage is universal and age at marriage is low. Breast-feeding is prolonged and has a pronounced effect on fertility. The fertility-reducing effect of contraception increased over the period through increased use of modern methods. The TFR declined by 24% from 1975 to 1985.
Education, age at first birth, and the timing of fertility in the United States: recent trends
Authors: Wineberg Howard 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThis paper enquires whether education and age at first birth, both strongly associated with completed fertility, are related to the timing of fertility, in particular the timing of the first three births, among once married white women. Analysis of data from the June 1985 United States Current Population Survey indicates that education is related to the timing of fertility; this relationship has remained relatively constant over time. Age at first birth is associated with the timing of fertility among older but not younger women.
Age at first birth and lifetime fertility
Authors: Balakrishnan T. R. , Vaninadha Rao K. , Krotki Karol J. , Lapierre-Adamcyk Evelyne 
Published: July 2008

SummaryAmong a national sample of Canadian women in the Canadian National Fertility Survey of 1984, the excess cumulative fertility of those who started their families early over others has steadily decreased. A difference of approximately two births between early and late starters among older women is reduced to approximately half a child among the younger women. Except for those who start childbearing after age 25, there is little evidence of attempts to catch up after age 30, irrespective of starting age.
Mortality estimates for South Kampala based on 1980 Uganda population census
Authors: Agyei William K. A. , Nakintu-Kyeyune Grace 
Published: July 2008

SummaryAn analysis of the 1980 Uganda Population Census for South Kampala through indirect techniques provided estimated 1q0 values of 0·0860, 0·0680 and 0·0774 for male infants, female infants and both sexes respectively. The estimated level of 4q1 is 0·0491. The level of adult mortality, especially from age 5 to 19, is lower than infant and child mortality. There is a clear evidence of a sex differential in mortality, males experiencing higher mortality than females. Estimates of expectation of life at birth provided further evidence of sex differences in mortality. The estimated life expectation for males is 54·7 years, for females 59·3 years, and for both sexes 57·0 years.
Infant and early childhood mortality in the Sine-Saloum region of Senegal
Authors: Goldberg Howard I. , M'bodji Fara G. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryUsing data from a 1982–83 survey, infant and early childhood mortality are investigated in a large rural region of Senegal. Because of evidence of under-reporting of early mortality an adjustment factor was applied to the data. Infant mortality was estimated to be about 113 deaths per 1000 live births. Childhood mortality was very high relative to infant mortality. Some noteworthy differentials in mortality between geographic, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups were recorded. It was estimated that diarrhoeal and respiratory diseases accounted for about one-half of reported deaths. Tetanus was an important cause of death during infancy. Measles and malaria were important causes only after the first birthday.
Social class differences in infant mortality: the problem of competing hypotheses
Authors: Humphrey Charlotte , Elford Jonathan 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThere is no agreed explanation of the social class gradient in infant mortality. The longstanding debate continues between those who favour explanations based on natural or social selection and those who stress the influence of environmental circumstances. These explanations are often presented as competing hypotheses between which it is necessary to make an absolute choice. An article which takes this approach is critically examined. It is argued that such an approach may lead to erroneous conclusions, and may divert attention away from the primary task of understanding how to bring about further improvements in the survival of infants in the manual social classes.
Predicting contraceptive use in Bangladesh: a logistic regression analysis
Authors: Chowdhury A. I. , Phillips James F. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryFamily planning knowledge, attitude and practice surveys typically assess respondents' reproductive attitudes and intentions to use contraception. Longitudinal observation of individual respondents nevertheless shows that such questions are not strongly predictive of subsequent behaviour. This study examines 3 years' data which show that a set of such responses to questions are nevertheless substantially superior in predicting behaviour than any single indicator. Thus statistical techniques which bring into account the apparent multidimensionality of contraceptive motivation can greatly improve upon the estimation of future practice of family planning in a population.
Child mortality differentials in Ghana: a preliminary report
Authors: Tawiah E. O. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThe relationship is examined of child mortality in Ghana with six socioeconomic factors: mother's type of place of residence, education, occupation and work status, and current husband's education and occupation. Using data from the 1979–80 Ghana Fertility Survey, Trussell's marriage duration model was employed to estimate probabilities of dying at exact ages 2 and 5 in different population subgroups. The two education variables (mother's and husband's education) have the largest effect on child mortality, followed by husband's occupation and mother's occupation, in that order. In order to reduce child mortality to tolerable levels, expansion is urgently required of the medical and health services, balanced by an equal development of education, particularly of girls, help being given especially to the rural areas where the majority of the population live.
Does son preference matter?
Authors: Ali Syed Mubashir 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThe demand for additional children is influenced by the presence of sons within a family. This study is based on cross-sectional data of 9416 currently married women under age 50 from a Pakistan national survey in 1979–80. The analysis suggests that having at least one son in the family influences the demand for additional children. Urban and rural comparisons indicated a higher preference for sons in urban areas. Unless the socioeconomic milieu changes, son preference is likely to remain strong in Pakistan.
Biosocial correlates of asthma in a national sample of young adults
Authors: Kaplan Bernice A. , Mascie-Taylor C. G. N. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryAs the participants in the 1958 National Child Development Study cohort enter adulthood most of the social factors associated with onset of asthma are no longer relevant, but many of the biological factors continue to be important. There is a continuing association at age 23 between eczema, hayfever and similar allergic reactions and continuing asthma, while the earlier associated social factors including non-manual occupations, home ownership, and lack of crowding within the home or sharing of the bedroom with others in the household cease to have significant effects. Smoking patterns in this age group diverge sharply from what might be expected in those with a serious respiratory affliction: significantly more asthmatics smoke than would be expected at random.
Endogamy among the Dogon of Boni, Mali
Authors: Cazes M. H. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThis paper examines factors influencing endogamy in a Dogon population in Mali. Situated in Boni district, this population of about 5000 individuals is distributed over fifteen villages located on four independent massifs. This population is strongly endogamous (only 4% of all marriages are contracted with neighbouring ethnic groups), and each massif shows high endogamy. The roles of lineage, residence in the same village, and geographical distance in mating choice are examined. These different factors are successively analysed using log-linear statistical models and the results offer a more precise interpretation of endogamy in this population.
Socioeconomic and health care determinants of child survival in Kuwait
Authors: Shah Nasra M. , Shah Makhdoom A. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThis paper analyses the socioeconomic and health care determinants responsible for the decline over the last two decades in infant mortality in Kuwait. Published data and the results of a national health survey conducted in 1984–85 show the following. With the overall affluence of the society, health care in terms of immunization has improved dramatically and more than 90% of all children are covered. Of all births, 99% now occur in a hospital or clinic. About half of the mothers continue to breast-feed their babies for about 16 months. Despite these favourable conditions, differences still exist between social classes. The risk of stillbirth remains much higher among the poorer women, those without any education and those who gave birth at home. These findings are consistent with developed countries like the USA and Japan, where the social class differences in mortality still persist.
Child survival and its effect on mortality of siblings in Bangladesh
Authors: Majumder A. K. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThis study of the relationship between mortality risks of siblings born to the same mother shows that, in Bangladesh, the death of the immediately preceding sibling in its infancy has a negative influence on the survival chance of the child in question in its infancy; however, death of the preceding sibling appears to have a positive influence on the index child's survival at ages 1–5 years. Similar results are found for the survival status of the two preceding siblings. Preceding birth interval length and survival status and sex of the immediately preceding sibling are also significant predictors of child mortality between ages 1 and 5 years. Possible explanations may be that the index child faces stronger competition from its immediately preceding brother than from its immediately preceding sister, or that the index child is likely to be looked after more by its preceding sister than by its preceding brother.
Vasectomy reversal in Nepal
Authors: Thapa S. , Vaidya T. M. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryData from 157 men in Nepal who had vasectomy reversal are analysed. Most sought reversal within 5 years of vasectomy. Half of the men sought reversal because of the death of a male child, and about one-fourth because of the loss of a female child. Re-marriage was the primary reason for only 10% of the men. Those having reversal because of the loss of a male child were generally younger, and for almost half of this group, the age of their last child at the time of their vasectomy was under 2 years. The results suggest that the demand for reversal could be considerably reduced by more careful screening of the potential vasectomy acceptors.
The desire for children in tropical Africa: the influence of relatives on fertility decisions in Ankole, Uganda
Authors: Ntozi James P. M. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryIn a survey in Ankole (Uganda) in 1985, 1664 women in samples of the three socioeconomic groups (pastoralists, cultivators and mixed farmers) were asked questions on their reproductive history, and 1029 men questions on educational and wedding costs and their expectations of help from relatives and obligations to help relatives. It is shown that the extended family system allows a great deal of mutual support, while the power of the elders allows them to influence younger married relatives to follow the pronatalist traditions of the society.
Demographic and socioeconomic factors affecting infant mortality in Egypt
Authors: Aly Hassan Y. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThis paper analyses the relative importance of demographic and socioeconomic factors with respect to their role in reducing infant mortality in Egypt.Logit analyses of data from a nationally representative sample of Egyptian households, and for urban and rural households separately, indicate that demographic factors have more effect on infant mortality than socioeconomic factors. The results also show the need to improve housing in urban areas and sewerage systems in rural areas in order to reduce infant mortality. One of the most important policy conclusions, however, concerns the importance of providing a vigorous educational campaign to enlighten mothers and prospective mothers in both rural and urban areas on the positive effects of breast-feeding, longer birth intervals, and fewer children on the survival of infants.
A comparison of different sources of information about pregnancy and childbirth
Authors: Oakley Ann , Rajan Lynda , Robertson Penrose 
Published: July 2008

SummaryDifferent methods of obtaining information in medical and social research present problems of interpretation for the researcher. However, there are few systematic studies on the extent of the lack of concordance yielded by different methods. This paper uses data from a randomized controlled trial of social support in pregnancy to examine this issue in relation to three methods of data collection—medical records, home interviews and a postal questionnaire—on the following topics: obstetric history; smoking, alcohol use, number of antenatal hospital visits, bleeding and depression in pregnancy; length of labour; baby's sex, birthweight and neonatal health problems; and ethnicity. Considerable discrepancies are found comparing the different data sources. These suggest that mothers may be more reliable sources of information than medical records, and that the anonymity of a postal questionnaire may provide higher estimates than home interviews on some sensitive topics, such as smoking in pregnancy.
Anthropometric indicators of children's nutrition in two Nigerian communities
Authors: Ebomoyi E.W. , Wickremasinghe A.R. , Cherry Flora F. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryOn a sample of some 2000 children living in two ecologically different zones (the Wooded and Guinea savanna) in Kwara state, Nigeria, body measurements were taken, to serve as indicators of the state of nutrition. There was more undernutrition in the Guinea savanna than in the Wooded. More males than females were undernourished in the Guinea savanna but not in the Wooded. It is argued that the differences between districts stem from social and cultural variables.
Intervals between marriage and first birth in mothers and daughters
Authors: Desjardins Bertrand , Bideau Alain , Heyer Evelyne , Brunet Guy 
Published: July 2008

SummaryMarriage-first birth intervals are examined in two historical populations, Quebec (1608–1765) and Haut-Jura (1689–1980), comparing intervals in mothers and daughters, and in sister-sister pairs. The results point to a weak relationship between intervals of mothers and daughters, though it does not attain significance. Shared environment does not seem to be responsible since there is no association between pairs of sisters from the same populations.
The relationship between sociodemographic variables and pregnancy loss in a rural area of Bangladesh
Authors: Mostafa G. , Wojtyniak B. , Fauveau V. , Bhuiyan A. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThis study examines the relationship between eight socio-demographic variables and the risk of pregnancy loss in a rural area of Bangladesh. The risks of spontaneous miscarriage and stillbirth were significantly associated with maternal age, pregnancy order and previous pregnancy wastage.
Maternal and infant demographics and health status: a comparison of Black, Caucasian, and Hispanic families
Authors: Langlois Judith H. , Ritter Jean M. , Casey Rita J. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThe relationships among ethnicity, demographics, smoking and drinking habits, and maternal and infant health were examined in a sample of 171 low-income and low-risk Black, Caucasian, and Hispanic families. Few ethnic differences in the health status of the mothers and their infants emerged when ethnic differences were directly examined; however, a latent variable analysis indicated that ethnicity was related to smoking and drinking habits such that Caucasian mothers were more likely to smoke and drink. Smoking and drinking, in turn, led to smaller infant size at birth. Demographic differences found in level of income, education, and family composition suggest that low-income families are not necessarily homogeneous.
Voluntary sterilisation among Canadian women
Authors: De Wit Margaret , Rajulton Fernando 
Published: July 2008

SummaryUsing data from the 1984 Canadian Fertility Survey, proportional hazards modelling was employed to determine factors associated with the likelihood of voluntary sterilisation among 5315 women of childbearing age, and the trends in timing and differences in the likelihood associated with different age cohorts. Multivariate analysis suggests that educational attainment, parity and duration since last birth at the time of sterilisation, religious commitment, province of residence and marital status at the time of sterilisation, are all important predictors. Education and parity attainment emerged as the best predictors of the timing of voluntary sterilisation in all age cohorts, but the contribution of other covariates varies between cohorts.
Birth weight and other determinants of infant and child mortality in three provinces of China
Authors: Dankert G. , van Ginneken J. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryInformation on levels, trends and determinants of infant and child mortality was available from the 1985 In-depth Fertility Survey which was conducted in three provinces of China. Mortality of children below age 5 varied from 49 per 1000 live births in Shaanxi to 20 in Shanghai in 1980–85 and has declined substantially since 1960, from 206 in Shaanxi and 66 in Shanghai. Male mortality was considerably higher than female mortality in the neonatal and post-neonatal period, and at ages 1–5 years. Birth weight, place of residence and mother's education were found to be important determinants of mortality; age of mother and parity were less important.
Relationships of desire for no more children and socioeconomic and demographic factors in Sri Lankan women
Authors: De Silva W. I. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryData from the 1982 Sri Lanka Contraceptive Prevalence Survey are used to identify women who wish to stop childbearing; they differ in socioeconomic status from their counterparts who want more children. Educated women are more likely to be motivated to cease childbearing than non-educated women; Christian or Sinhalese/Buddhist women are more willing to stop childbearing than Moor/Muslim or Tamil/Hindu women. The relationships between sex composition of existing children and women's fertility desires indicate that although moderate son preference exists it does not affect their contraceptive behaviour. Among those who want no more children, 15% are at risk of unwanted pregnancy because they do not practise contraception. Again better education and being Christian or Sinhalese/Buddhist reduced the risk of unwanted pregnancy. Women whose husbands disapproved of contraception had over four times higher risk of unwanted pregnancy than women whose husbands approved.
The assessment of total energy expenditure of female farmers under field conditions
Authors: Brun Thierry 
Published: July 2008

SummaryThe paper reviews methods, and their difficulties, in the measurement of the daily energy expenditure of rural women under field conditions in developing countries. Since all methods need to be validated against a reference method which is usually based on indirect calorimetry, examples of the use of this technique are given. The energy costs of most agricultural and daily tasks of rural women in developing countries have been measured. Large intra- and inter-individual variations in the cost of a single activity occur, so repeated measurements are needed to obtain a valid mean energy cost for a specific activity for a homogeneous group of individuals.Much work remains to be done on the assessment of the duration and the intensity of the physical activity of the rural adolescent and adult female population. Studies indicate that the workload of most rural women in developing countries is excessive and frequently associated with acute poverty.
Studies on perceived breast-milk insufficiency: relation to attitude and practice
Authors: Hillervik-Lindquist Charlotte 
Published: July 2008

SummaryFifty-one mother-infant pairs were followed prospectively by home visits and telephone contacts during the first 6 months post-partum. Comparisons between mothers who experienced lactation crises because of perceived breast-milk insufficiency (crisis group) and those who did not (non-crisis group) revealed differences in attitudes to breast-feeding, breast-feeding behaviour and sexual life. The crisis group tended to initiate breast-feeding for infant-related reasons more frequently than the non-crisis group, which more frequently gave mother-related reasons. During the course of breastfeeding attitude changes in a negative direction were significantly more common in the crisis group. No difference was found between the groups in the resumption of sexual life, but 59% of all the women claimed that they experienced less or no desire compared to before pregnancy and, of these, a significantly higher proportion belonged to the crisis group.