Abstract/Details

FERTILITY DETERMINANTS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF KENYA AND LESOTHO

MHLOYI, MARVELLOUS MYNARD.   University of Pennsylvania ProQuest Dissertations Publishing,  1984. 8417335.

Abstract (summary)

The purpose of the study is to assess the determinants of fertility and fertility control in Kenya and Lesotho, and of the fertility differences between the two countries, using WFS data. The empirical analysis focuses on continuously once married women aged 35-44 years, who have had at least two children.

The analysis in Chapter III aims to test whether or not the differential fertility between Kenya and Lesotho can be explained by the differential use of fertility control. Parity progression rations, age-specific marital fertility rates and the index value of fertility control, m, are used. All these measures indicate that both countries are natural fertility populations in a parity-specific sense.

In Chapter IV fertility is linked to its proximate determinants in a multivariate analysis. Fertility is inversely related to the birth interval variables, breastfeeding and pregnancy wastage, and directly related to duration of marriage, fecundity, child mortality and fertility regulation in both countries. All the variables are significant except fertility regulation in both countries, and child mortality in Kenya. About 39 and 35 percent of Kenya's higher fertility than Lesotho's can be accounted for by the postpartum amenorrheic and fecundity variables, respectively.

In Chapter V the proximate determinants analysis was repeated with the aim of testing whether or not the following proximate determinants can predict fertility better than the variables used in Chapter IV: age at marriage, age at menarche, full breastfeeding, postpartum amenorrhea, loss of exposure, abstinence, menopause and regularity of menstrual cycles. None of these variables is significantly related to fertility except abstinence and full breastfeeding in Kenya.

Chapter VI focuses on the determinants of fertility regulation, motivation--Cn-Cd, and cost of control, both subjective and economic. Fertility regulation is inversely related to cost of control, and directly related to motivation. Motivation is however negative in both countries.

The proximate determinants, and the determinants of use are linked to modernization and cultural variables in Chapter VII. Modernization variables explain household fertility better than cultural variables. The determinants of fertility control are more sensitive to modernization variables than the proximate determinants.

Indexing (details)


Subject
Demographics;
Demography
Classification
0938: Demography
Identifier / keyword
Social sciences
Title
FERTILITY DETERMINANTS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF KENYA AND LESOTHO
Author
MHLOYI, MARVELLOUS MYNARD
Number of pages
342
Degree date
1984
School code
0175
Source
DAI-A 45/05, Dissertation Abstracts International
Place of publication
Ann Arbor
Country of publication
United States
ISBN
9798661733467
University/institution
University of Pennsylvania
University location
United States -- Pennsylvania
Degree
Ph.D.
Source type
Dissertation or Thesis
Language
English
Document type
Dissertation/Thesis
Dissertation/thesis number
8417335
ProQuest document ID
303300306
Copyright
Database copyright ProQuest LLC; ProQuest does not claim copyright in the individual underlying works.
Document URL
https://www.proquest.com/docview/303300306