Child gender preferences in an urban and rural community in Enugu, eastern Nigeria

Abstract

Objective: To ascertain the child gender preferences in an urban and rural community in Enugu State.Materials and Methods: A multistage sampling method was employed to select 245 urban and 243 rural women from households in Enugu State, Eastern Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was used to ascertain child gender preferences in an urban and a rural area.Results: Significant son preference was found in both the urban and rural areas where 74.7 % and 71.6 % of women would prefer to have a male child if they could have only one child(X2=43.835). Considering having many children however a balanced preference more prevalent in the urban area (56.7%) than in the rural area (27.2%) was found. As many as 92.3 % and 84.2 % of the women in the urban area and rural areas with four living males had completed their families compared with 25% and 83.3 % of those with four living females.Conclusion: Son preference exists in the rural and urban community in Enugu State however a balanced preference is also common especially in the urban area. Recommendation: Family education especially on gender equality and sensitivity was recommended.Keywords: Son preference, balanced preference, Urban, Rural