Document Type : Original Articles

Authors

1 Health- vice chancellor, Shiraz University of medical sciences, Shiraz, Iran

2 Dept. of Sociology and Social Planning, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

3 Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

4 Health- vice chancellor, Shiraz University of Medical Science, Shiraz, Iran

5 Shiraz HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

Abstract

Background: During the last two decades, fertility has declined to replacement level in rural areas of Iran. The current study investigated the determinant factors of actual and ideal fertility, and fertility intention in rural women of Fars province.Method: This is a cross-sectional study. The sample comprised 1301 rural married women aged 15 to 49 years in Fars province. Data were gathered in 2015 using structured questionnaires. Statistical analysis was run on STATA software, version 12.0. The semi-partial correlation was run to show the unique effect of each variable while controlling all the other variables. Finally, a multiple regression model was run with a significance level of 0.05. Results: The means(±SD) of actual and ideal fertility were 2.11±(1.32) and 2.81±(0.96), respectively, and for fertility intention it was 2.92±)1.00(. Age was the most determinant factor of actual, ideal fertility and fertility intention. The second effective factor was age at first birth. The determination coefficient for the actual fertility model showed that 62.1% of the variance in actual fertility was explained by age, age at first birth, woman’s education, and use of contraceptive methods. For ideal fertility and fertility intention, about 16.2% and 27.5% of the variance were explained by the independent variables, respectively.Conclusion: As a result of the rise in education and social position of younger women, the opportunity cost of having a child is more effective than ever. Therefore, fertility incentive policies could not be effective in increasing fertility, even in among rural population.

Keywords

  1. Bongaarts J. Fertility transitions in developing countries: Progress or stagnation? Studies in family planning. 2008;39(2):105-10.
  2. Zarei N, Ahmadi A. Nutrition Transition: An Intergenerational Comparison of Dietary Habits among Women of Shiraz. Iranian journal of public health. 2015;44(2):269.
  3. Mahdi Shirzad M. Fertility behaviour of Iranian women: A community-based, cross-sectional study. Archives of Iranian medicine. 2015;18(1):2.
  4. Hosseini-Chavoshi M, Abbasi-Shavazi MJ, McDonald P. Fertility, Marriage, and Family Planning in Iran: Implications for Future Policy. Population Horizons. 2016;13(1):31-40.
  5. Salehi‐Isfahani D, Abbasi‐Shavazi MJ, Hosseini‐Chavoshi M. Family planning and fertility decline in rural Iran: the impact of rural health clinics. Health Economics. 2010;19(S1):159-80.
  6. Basten S, Gu B. Childbearing preferences, reform of family planning restrictions and the Low Fertility Trap in China. Oxford Centre for Population Research Working Paper; 2013.
  7. Testa MR. On the positive correlation between education and fertility intentions in Europe: Individual-and country-level evidence. Advances in life course research. 2014;21:28-42.
  8. Buber-Ennser I, Panova R, Dorbritz J. Fertility intentions of university graduates. Demografia English Edition. 2013;56(5):5-34.
  9. Hagewen KJ, Morgan SP. Intended and ideal family size in the United States, 1970–2002. Population and Development Review. 2005;31(3):507-27.
  10. Asghar M, Murry B, Saraswathy KN. Fertility behaviour and effect of son preference among the Muslims of Manipur, India. Journal of Anthropology. 2014;2014.
  11. Stichnoth H, Yeter M. Cultural influences on the fertility behaviour of first-and second-generation immigrants in Germany. 2013.
  12. Dubuc S, editor Fertility by ethnic and religious groups in the UK, trends in a multi-cultural context. IUSSP International Population Conference; 2009.
  13. Sahoo H. Fertility behaviour among adolescent in India. J Fam Welf. 2011;57(1):22-33.
  14. Ferre C. Age at first child: does education delay fertility timing? The case of Kenya. 2009.
  15. Berrington A, Pattaro S. Educational differences in fertility desires, intentions and behaviour: A life course perspective. Advances in life course research. 2014;21:10-27.
  16. Mcallister L, Gurven M, Kaplan H, Stieglitz J. Why do women have more children than they want? Understanding differences in women's ideal and actual family size in a natural fertility population. American Journal of Human Biology. 2012;24(6):786-99.
  17. Angeles G, Guilkey DK, Mroz TA. The determinants of fertility in rural Peru: Program effects in the early years of the national family planning program. Journal of Population Economics. 2005;18(2):367-89.
  18. Khongji P. Determinants and trends of ideal family size in a matrilineal set-up. 2014.
  19. Söderberg M, Christensson K, Lundgren I, Hildingsson I. Women's attitudes towards fertility and childbearing–A study based on a national sample of Swedish women validating the Attitudes to Fertility and Childbearing Scale (AFCS). Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare. 2015;6(2):54-8.
  20. Testa MR. Childbearing preferences and family issues in Europe: evidence from the Eurobarometer 2006 survey. Vienna Yearbook of Population Research. 2007:357-79.
  21. Abbasi MJ, Mehryar A, Jones G, McDonald P. Revolution, war and modernization: Population policy and fertility change in Iran. Journal of Population Research. 2002;19(1):25-46.
  22. Bbaale E, Mpuga P. Female education, contraceptive use, and fertility: evidence from Uganda. Consilience-The Journal of Sustainable Development. 2011;6(1).
  23. Feldman BS, Zaslavsky AM, Ezzati M, Peterson KE, Mitchell M. Contraceptive use, birth spacing, and autonomy: an analysis of the Oportunidades program in rural Mexico. Studies in family planning. 2009;40(1):51-62.
  24. Jalal Abbasi-Shavazi M, McDonald P. Fertility decline in the Islamic Republic of Iran: 1972–2000. Asian Population Studies. 2006;2(3):217-37.
  25. Friedman D, Hechter M, Kanazawa S. A theory of the value of children. Demography. 1994;31(3):375-401.
  26. Gauthier AH, Hatzius J. Family benefits and fertility: An econometric analysis. Population studies. 1997;51(3):295-306.