1. Home
  2. Vol 23, No 2 (2019)
  3. Chemhaka

The Proximate Determinants of Fertility in Eswatini

Garikayi B. Chemhaka(1), Clifford O. Odimegwu(2),


(1) Demography and Population Studies Programme, Schools of Social Sciences and Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits 2050, South Africa1; Department of Statistics and Demography, University of Eswatini, Private Bag 4, Kwaluseni, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)
(2) Demography and Population Studies Programme, Schools of Social Sciences and Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits 2050,
Corresponding Author

Abstract


Accelerating downwards the fertility rate remains a priority issue for developmental planning of any country. Fertility transition for most African countries has been slow since attaining their independence. In a  period of almost four decades Eswatini experienced high fertility above replacement level fertility of 2.1; total fertility rate has declined from 6 to 4 children per woman from 1968 to 2007. This paper examines the impact of each proximate factor (contraception, postpartum infecundability, abortion and sexual activity) on fertility. Using the cross-sectional data from the 2006-7 Eswatini Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), the revised Bongaarts proximate determinants model of fertility was applied at national level and the analysis was extended to observe educational variation among women aged 15-49. The analysis showed that contraception had the greatest impact of fertility reduction, then sexual activity, postpartum infecundability and induced abortion. Women‘s educational level had huge negative influence on fertility and positive implication on reproductive choice of using contraception, delaying sexual activity/marriage and childbearing. The results guide on selection of potential social variables amenable to policy aimed at improving women‘s reproductive behaviour in Eswatini through better educational attainment. (Afr J Reprod Health 2019;
23[2]:65-75)

References


Upadhyay UD and Karasek D. Women's Empowerment

and Ideal Family Size: An Examination of DHS Empowerment Measures In Sub-Saharan Africa. International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 2012; 38(2): 78-89.

Jain AK and Ross JA. Fertility Differences Among

Developing Countries: Are They Still Related to Family Planning Program Efforts and Social Settings? International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 2012; 38(1): 15-22.

Davis K and Blake J. Social structure and fertility: An

analytic framework. Economic Development and Cultural Change 1956; 4(4): 211-35.

Bongaarts J. A Framework for Analyzing the Proximate Determinants of Fertility. Population and Development Review 1978; 4(1): 105-32.

Bongaarts J. The Fertility-Inhibiting Effects of the Intermediate Fertility Variables. Studies in Family Planning 1982; 13(6/7): 179-89.

United Nations. Programme of Action of the International

Conference on Population Development: 20th Anniversary Edition. New York: United Nations Population Fund [UNFPA]; 2014.

Odimegwu CO and Adedini SA. Gender equity and fertility

intention in selected sub-Saharan African countries.

Gender & Behaviour 2014; 12(2): 5858-81.

Van Lith LM, Yahner M and Bakamjian L. Women's growing desire to limit births in sub-Saharan Africa: meeting the challenge. Global Health: Science and Practice 2013; 1(1): 97-107.

CSO. Swaziland Demographic and Health Survey 2006–07.

Mbabane: Central Statistical Office [CSO] and

Macro International Inc 2008.

CSO. Swaziland Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2014.

Key Findings. Mbabane, Swaziland: Central Statistical Office [CSO] 2015.

Upadhyay UD, Gipson JD, Withers M, Lewis S, Ciaraldi

EJ, Fraser A, Huchko MJ and Prata N. Women's empowerment and fertility: A review of the literature. Social Science & Medicine 2014; (115): 111-20.

Caldwell JC and Caldwell P. Africa: The New Family Planning Frontier. Studies in Family Planning 2002; 33(1): 76-86.

Bongaarts J, Frank O and Lesthaeghe RJ. The proximate

determinants of fertility in sub-Saharan Africa. Population and Development Review 1984; 10(3): 511-37.

Kravdal Ø. Education and Fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa:

Individual and Community Effects. Demography 2002; 39(2): 233-50.

Garenne M. Education and Fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Longitudinal Perspective. Calverton, Maryland, USA: ICF International; 2012.

Tabutin D and Schoumaker B. The Demography of Sub-Saharan Africa from the 1950s to the 2000s. A Survey of Changes and a Statistical Assessment. Population (English Edition, 2002-) 2004; 59(3/4): 457-555.

Cleland J and Wilson C. Demand theories of the fertility

transition: An iconclastic view. Population Studies 1987; 41(1): 5-30.

Warren CW, Johnson JT, Gule G, Hlophe E and Kraushaar D. The Determinants of Fertility in Swaziland. Population Studies 1992; 46(1): 5-17.

Stover J. Revising the Proximate Determinants of Fertility

Framework: What Have We Learned in the past 20

Years? Studies in Family Planning 1998; 29(3): 255-67.

Johnston H and Westoff C. Examples of Model-Based

Approaches to Estimating Abortion. In: Singh S, Remez L, Tartaglione A, eds. Methodologies for Estimating Abortion Incidence and Abortion-Related Morbidity: A Review. New York: Guttmacher Institute; and Paris: International Union for the Scientific Study of Population 2010:49-62.

ICF. The DHS Program STATcompiler. Funded by

USAID. 2012. http://www.statcompiler.com.

Bongaarts J. Modeling the fertility impact of the proximate determinants: Time for a tune-up. Demographic Research 2015; 33(19): 535-60.

Trussell J. Contraceptive efficacy. In: Hatcher R, Trussell

J, Nelson A, Cates W, Kowal D, Policar M, eds. Contraceptive Technology: Twentieth Revised Edition. New York NY: Ardent Media 2011:779-863.

Bongaarts J and Westoff CF. The potential role of contraception in reducing abortion. Studies in Family Planning 2000; 31(3): 193-202.

Sedgh G, Singh S, Shah IH, Åhman E, Henshaw SK and

Bankole A. Induced abortion: incidence and trends worldwide from 1995 to 2008. Lancet 2012; 379: 625-32.

Johnson K, Abderrahim N and Rutstein SO. Changes in

the Direct and Indirect Determinants of Fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa. DHS Analytical Studies No. 23. Calverton, Maryland, USA: ICF Macro; 2011.

Majumder N and Ram F. Explaining the Role of Proximate Determinants on Fertility Decline among Poor and Non-Poor in Asian Countries. PLoS ONE 2015; 10(2): e0115441.

Onuoha N. Contributions of the proximate determinants to

fertility change in Senegal. Soc Sci Med 1992; 35(10): 1317-20.

Ministry of Health. Swaziland 1988 Family Health

Survey: Final Report. Atlanta, Georgia: Centers for

Disease Control; 1990 19/07/2013


Full Text: PDF

Article Metrics

Abstract View : 784 times
PDF Download : 503 times

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.