Current Number Of Children Research Articles

Reflections on Mismatches in the Fertility Preferences in Latin America

This study aims to estimate and analyze four selected indicators of contradictions in female fertility preferences, which are called mismatches. Therefore, we seek to analyze the responses to the questions that women are asked regarding their ideal number of children, their current number of children, their future fertility intentions, and their use of contraceptive methods. Data from demographic and reproductive health surveys from fourteen countries in Latin America between 2006 and 2017 were used. An estimated occurrence of mismatches of 11 % was observed for the countries studied, and cases in which women were classified with a negative discrepancy and said that they do not want more children in the future prevailed. It can be inferred that despite the existence of several inconsistencies, the responses of Latin American women to questions about their fertility preferences are robust and very predictive.

The Experience of Chronic Sorrow among Indonesian Mothers Who have Suffered Recent Perinatal Loss

Background: Perinatal death results in physical loss of a child as well as symbolic loss (loss of self, hope and self-esteem) experienced by many parents. Loss is often expressed via a grief response that can develop into chronic sorrow. Ineffective coping strategies may increase susceptibility to complications associated with chronic sorrow. These complications can include clinical depression, dysthymic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, attachment disorder, drug dependence, psychosis, and suicidal ideation. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the barriers and facilitators to chronic sorrow particularly among vulnerable populations. 
 Aim: To explore the experience of chronic sorrow among Indonesian women who have suffered perinatal loss. 
 Methods: The present qualitative study utilized a descriptive phenomenological approach. Participants included women who experienced chronic sorrow due to perinatal loss within the past seven weeks to three years. Maximum variation sampling was used based on women’s current number of children. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using a modified Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method. 
 Results: Three key themes emerged from the data: (1) recurrent experiences of grief are common particularly when exposed to certain triggers (memories from pregnancy, mementos); (2) adequate coping strategies and emotional support are needed to help treat grief; and (3) specific characteristics of chronic sorrow are associated with perinatal loss, such as grief that feels diminished and the presence of another child serving as both a cure and a trigger of sorrow. 
 Conclusion: Chronic sorrow as a result of perinatal loss is experienced repeatedly when mothers face certain triggers. We have identified two characteristics (diminished grief, having another child serve to both cure and trigger sorrow) that are specific to the experience of chronic sorrow compared to that of general grief. It is important to understand the experience of chronic sorrow and how coping strategies and a support system can help grieving mothers to overcome their loss.

Men\u2019s involvement in family planning service utilization among married men in Kondala district, western Ethiopia: a community-based comparative cross-sectional study

BackgroundMen involvement is one of the important factors in family planning (FP) service utilization. Their limitation in the family planning program causes a decrease in service utilization as well as the discontinuation of the method which eventually leads to failure of the program. Family planning uptake is low but there is no enough study conducted on the parameters of husband involvement in Ethiopia. Hence, this study focused to assess men’s involvement in family planning service utilization in Kondala district, western Ethiopia.MethodsCommunity based comparative cross-sectional study design was employed in urban and rural kebeles of kondala district using quantitative and qualitative data collection tools. The multi-stage sampling method was employed to select 370 participants from each of the four urban and eight rural kebeles. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify variables that affect husbands’ involvement in FP service utilization. Statistical significance was declared at p-value of < 0.05 with 95% confidence interval (CI) and strength of association was reported by odds ratio (OR).ResultsThe study showed that 203(55.6%) men from urban and 178(48.8%) from rural were involved in FP service utilization. The median age of the respondents was 36+ 8.5 years (IQR: 27.5–44.5) in urban and 35 years (IQR: 25–45) in rural parts. Respondents who had four and above current children (AOR = 3.25, 95%CI = 1.51–7.02) in urban and (AOR = 4.20, 95%CI = 1.80–9.79) in rural were positively associated with men’s involvement in FP service utilization. In the urban setting, being government employee (AOR = 2.58, 95%CI = 1.25–5.33), wishing less than two children (AOR = 3.08, 95%CI = 1.80–5.24) and having a better attitude towards FP methods (AOR = 1.86, 95%CI = 1.16–2.99) were positively associated with FP service utilization. While good educational background (AOR = 2.13, 95%CI = 1.02–4.44), short distance from home to health facility (AOR = 2.29, 95%CI = 1.24–4.19) and having better knowledge (AOR = 4.49, 95%CI = 2.72–7.38) were positively associated with men involvement in FP service utilization in the rural area.ConclusionLow involvement of men in family planning service utilization was reported in both settings. Factors associated with husbands’ involvement were varied between the two setups, except for the current number of children. Future FP program should incorporate infrastructure associated with the health facility, knowledge, and attitudinal factors.

Fertility and Reproductive Health in Women Physicians.

Background: Our aim was to evaluate trends of childbearing during medical training, evaluate issues of infertility, and measure institutionalized barriers to childbearing among women physicians. Materials and Methods: Attendees of a national women physician's leadership conference (Brave Enough Women Physicians Continuing Medical Education Conference) were surveyed during the conference using Qualtrics© (2019 Qualtrics, Provo, UT), in September 2019. Survey data included demographics, training level, and medical specialty. Data related to reproductive health factors, pregnancy status and history, current number of children, medical history related to pregnancy, breastfeeding history, institutional family planning support, and use of previous fertility treatments were collected. Descriptive analyses were done using IBM SPSS v26.0. Results: Three hundred seventy-seven survey participants were included in the study. 10.6% of respondents reported at least one pregnancy during medical school, versus 78.8% as a practicing physician. Of the participants, 25.8% reported having taken off 1 month or less of clinical duties after giving birth, 39.4% reported that their job prevented breastfeeding for the desired length of time, and 52.2% reported significant workplace limitations to breastfeeding. Of them, 25.5% reported having had fertility issues in the past. Fertility drugs (72.9%) was the most common fertility treatment method used, followed by fertility tracking (54.2%). Demands of training (72.9%) and long work hours (61.5%) were the most cited factors in delaying having children as reported by women physicians. Conclusions: This study reported several barriers related to fertility, family planning, and reproductive health among women physicians. Our results highlight the need for a paradigm shift in fertility awareness and institutional support for childbearing during medical training, postgraduate training programs, and in practice for women in medicine.

The Relationship of the Current and Desired Number of Children with the Quality of Marital Relationship and Fertility Motivations Among Employed Women and their Husbands

Background & aim: In the last three decades, fertility has undergone a significant decrease in Iran. It seems that women's employment could affect this declining trend. It might also affect the quality of marital relationship as well as fertility motivations. Given the dearth of research in this topic, this study designed to measure the relationship between the current and desired number of children with quality of marital relationships and fertility motivations among employed women and their husbands in Mashhad, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 270 employed women and their husbands in 2018 who were selected through randomized cluster sampling technique. The data were collected through a demographic as well as Miller’s marital relationship quality and fertility motivations (1995) questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 24), using Spearman, analysis of variance, least significant difference (LSD), Kruskal-Wallis, and regression analysis tests. Results: Current number of children had a positive relationship with positive fertility motivations in women (P=0.002) and marriage duration (p <0.001). Desired number of children also had a positive relationship with quality of marital relationship (P=0.008) and positive fertility motivations in employed women and their husbands (P=0.001). Conclusion: As the findings indicated, the current number of children and positive fertility motivations was significantly associated with marital relationships quality and positive fertility motivations in women and their husbands. Therefore, a plan should be developed for improving marital relationships quality and positive fertility motivations in employed women and their spouses.

Geometry of weighted recursive and affine preferential attachment trees

We study two models of growing recursive trees. For both models, the tree initially contains a single vertex u1 and at each time n≥2 a new vertex un is added to the tree and its parent is chosen randomly according to some rule. In the weighted recursive tree, we choose the parent uk of un among {u1,u2,…,un−1} with probability proportional to wk, where (wn)n≥1 is some deterministic sequence that we fix beforehand. In the affine preferential attachment tree with fitnesses, the probability of choosing any uk is proportional to ak+deg+(uk), where deg+(uk) denotes its current number of children, and the sequence of fitnesses (an)n≥1 is deterministic and chosen as a parameter of the model. We show that for any sequence (an)n≥1, the corresponding preferential attachment tree has the same distribution as some weighted recursive tree with a random sequence of weights (with some explicit distribution). We then prove almost sure scaling limit convergences for some statistics associated with weighted recursive trees as time goes to infinity, such as degree sequence, height, profile and also the weak convergence of some measures carried on the tree. Thanks to the connection between the two models, these results also apply to affine preferential attachment trees.

Family-supportive workplace policies and benefits and fertility intentions in South Korea

ABSTRACT In 2017, South Korea’s total fertility rate was 1.26 live births per woman, the sixth-lowest in the world. Employment is significantly negatively associated with second births in Korea. To increase fertility rates and help working women better balance work and family lives, a series of government family-supportive workplace policies and employer-provided occupational benefits have been implemented and expanded. The present study examined the effects of family-supportive workplace policies and benefits on boosting working women's fertility intentions in Korea by the current number of children (i.e. parity). Using the 2007–2012 Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families (N = 3,405 working women), the study examined seven family policies and benefits. Results revealed that childcare leave was significantly associated with increasing working women’s first birth intentions. Also, women’s second birth intentions increased significantly when they had more family-supportive provisions at their workplaces. Despite these results, a majority of women perceived the family provisions to be unavailable at their workplaces. The present study underscores that women's fertility decisions differ significantly by parity and informs policymakers in their efforts to develop family provisions that address these differences and make family provisions more readily available.

Sibling loss and fertility desires in the high-mortality context of Peru

Despite demographers’ long-standing preoccupation with the effects of child mortality on women’s fertility desires, scholars continue to know little about the consequences of other pervasive mortality exposures. We use nationally representative data from the high-mortality context of Peru to examine whether the desire to have a(nother) child varies as a function of sibling loss and to assess heterogeneity in this association by women’s current number of children and a range of conditions related to siblings’ deaths. Women who have experienced sibling bereavement and have two or more children report higher odds of desiring another child. These effects are not contingent on the age or sex of the deceased sibling but are only significant if the sibling died during the respondent’s lifetime (not before). These findings highlight the theoretical and empirical import of investigating the relationship between fertility desires and a wider range of familial mortality exposures beyond own child mortality.

Changing Childbearing Norms During an Era of ART Expansion in Malawi, 2009 to 2015.

Community norms shape the childbearing goals and behaviors of persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) but little is known about how norms around HIV-positive childbearing have changed with expanded access to antiretroviral treatment (ART). We analyze data collected in 2009 and 2015 by the Tsogolo la Thanzi (TLT) project-a longitudinal, population-based study of young adults in southern Malawi. Respondents were asked about the acceptability of childbearing using vignettes that varied a hypothetical couple's HIV status and number of children. We assess mean differences in support for childbearing over time and by respondent gender and serostatus. The acceptability of childbearing for PLWHA increased dramatically over the 6-year period; however, support levels varied based on a couple's current number of children and whether they were seropositive concordant or discordant. Differences in attitudes by gender and HIV status diminished over time, pointing to a population-level convergence in norms about acceptable childbearing.

Factors Affecting the Decline in Childbearing in Iran: A Systematic Review

Abstract Introduction: The decline in fertility and childbearing tendency in Iran is due to various demographic, economic, social, and cultural variables. The present research was conducted to review studies carried out on factors affecting the decline in childbearing. Methods: This systematic review searched for articles published from 2011 to 2017 in all the available Iranian and foreign databases, including SID, Magiran, Irandoc, Medlib, Pubmed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Proquest using the following keywords, “childbearing”, “fertility”, “fertility decline” and “population decline”. The search ultimately led to the inclusion of 53 studies. Results: The main factors affecting the decline in childbearing discussed in the 53 reviewed articles were divided to three general categories: 1. Personal and family factors, including aging, older age at marriage, current number of children, the duration of marriage, the mean birth spacing, gender preferences, hopefulness, marital satisfaction, and quality of life, 2. Socioeconomic factors, including social support, education, occupation and social participation, especially of females, place of residence and the effect of social networks, 3. Cultural factors, including modernity, urbanization and industrialization, attitude change towards the value of children, changes in family values and religion. Conclusions: To intervene in the decline in childbearing and to increase the success rate of the designed plans and strategies, policy-makers and planners should provide strategies to deal with all the three noted groups of factors affecting childbearing.

The Influence of Maternal Psychological Factors and Community Child-Care Environment on the Abandonment of Childbirth : Comparison by the Current Number of Children

The Influence of Maternal Psychological Factors and Community Child-Care Environment on the Abandonment of Childbirth : Comparison by the Current Number of Children

A Quantitative Survey on the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices on Emergency Contraceptive Pills among Adult Female Students of a Tertiary Institution in Kaduna, Nigeria

Emergency contraception is of public health importance for preventing unintended pregnancies. Objectives: To assess knowledge, attitude and practice of female students towards emergency contraceptive pills. Methods: Quantitative cross-sectional survey of 220 fulltime female students of the Kaduna polytechnic, over the age of 18 years, by administering adapted questionnaires randomly. Results: 14.6% of students had ever heard of ECP, most commonly postin or brand (54.8%) and 4.4% were aware of the correct timing of use. Majority (97.7%) had poor knowledge, poor attitude (80%) and low use (15.2%) of ECP. Bivariate analysis showed religion, “ever had sex” and use of regular contraception were associated with awareness of ECP (p 0.05). Age, class level, religion, marital status, ever had sex, ever had an unintended pregnancy and ever had an abortion were associated with attitude to ECP (p<0.05). While marital status, ever had sex, current number of children, desired number of children, regular use of contraception, and ever had an abortion were associated with practice/use of ECP (p<0.05). Logistic regression showed religion to be predictor of knowledge of ECP (p<0.05); “ever had sex” in the past as a predictor of attitude of ECP (p<0.05). Conclusion: Students had poor knowledge of ECP, poor attitude towards ECP and use of ECP was low. Increased uptake of ECP may be achieved using appropriate reproductive health messages emphasizing its benefits through healthcare professionals, teachers and peer educators.

The Impact of Wish for Children and Having Children on Attainment and Importance of Life Values

In 1985 1.6 children were born per woman in Sweden. That rate increased to 2.1 in 1993 the highest level in Europe. Considerable effort is taken in Sweden to ensure employment and financial security during the early stage of parenthood. Mothers and fathers can take 1 year off from their employment when a baby is born and they are usually paid 90% of their normal salary for the entire year. They are guaranteed to have their jobs when they return. The authors discuss research into why people have children the effects of having children and the possibility of integrating research on the motives and effects of having children. Findings are then reported from the study of the perceived role of children for future or actual mothers and fathers based upon survey data from 383 married couples in Goteborg. The desire to have a child seems to be dependent upon the external aspects of the family situation such as the current number of children and duration of marriage.