High Fertility Rates Research Articles

The pooled estimate of the total fertility rate in sub-Saharan Africa using recent (2010-2018) Demographic and Health Survey data.

Even though the total fertility rate (TFR) has decreased significantly over the past decades in many countries, it has remained stable in sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. However, there is variation among the sub-regions and inhabitants of SSA. Therefore, this study aimed to conduct a meta-analysis of demographic and health surveys (DHS) to estimate the pooled level of TFR in SSA and to depict sub-regional and inhabitant differences. The data source for this study was the standard Demographic and Health Survey datasets of 33 sub-Saharan African countries, accessed through www.meaasuredhs.com between 2010 and 2018. The point estimate of the total fertility rate with its corresponding standard error in each sub-Saharan African country was estimated using the DHS.rates R package. Using the point estimate of the TFR with the standard error of each country, the pooled estimate of the TFR was generated by the metan STATA command. The study comprised 1,324,466 live births in total. The pooled estimate of sub-Saharan Africa's overall fertility rate was five children per woman (95% CI: 4.63-5.37). Consequently, the pooled estimate of total fertility for people living in urban and rural areas was 3.90 (95% CI: 3.60-4.21) and 5.82 (95% CI: 5.43-6.21) children per woman, respectively. In sub-group analysis, the pooled estimates of the TFR for the East African, Central African, Southern African, and West African regions, respectively, were 4.74, 5.59, 3.18, and 5.38 children per woman. Total fertility rates were greater in low-income nations (5.45), lower-middle-income countries (4.70), and high-middle-income countries (3.80). SSA has a relatively high total fertility rate. The regions of West and Central Africa have the highest overall fertility rate. The fertility rate is higher in countries with a large rural population and low income. Strategies should be developed to address this public health concern, especially in rural Central and Western Africa.

Projecting wheat demand in China and India for 2030 and 2050: Implications for food security.

The combined populations of China and India were 2.78 billion in 2020, representing 36% of the world population (7.75 billion). Wheat is the second most important staple grain in both China and India. In 2019, the aggregate wheat consumption in China was 96.4 million ton and in India it was 82.5 million ton, together it was more than 35% of the world's wheat that year. In China, in 2050, the projected population will be 1294-1515 million, and in India, it is projected to be 14.89-1793 million, under the low and high-fertility rate assumptions. A question arises as to, what will be aggregate demand for wheat in China and India in 2030 and 2050? Applying the Vector Error Correction model estimation process in the time series econometric estimation setting, this study projected the per capita and annual aggregate wheat consumptions of China and India during 2019-2050. In the process, this study relies on agricultural data sourced from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States (FAO) database (FAOSTAT), as well as the World Bank's World Development Indicators (WDI) data catalog. The presence of unit root in the data series are tested by applying the augmented Dickey-Fuller test; Philips-Perron unit root test; Kwiatkowski-Phillips-Schmidt-Shin test, and Zivot-Andrews Unit Root test allowing for a single break in intercept and/or trend. The test statistics suggest that a natural log transformation and with the first difference of the variables provides stationarity of the data series for both China and India. The Zivot-Andrews Unit Root test, however, suggested that there is a structural break in urban population share and GDP per capita. To tackle the issue, we have included a year dummy and two multiplicative dummies in our model. Furthermore, the Johansen cointegration test suggests that at least one variable in both data series were cointegrated. These tests enable us to apply Vector Error Correction (VEC) model estimation procedure. In estimation the model, the appropriate number of lags of the variables is confirmed by applying the "varsoc" command in Stata 17 software interface. The estimated yearly per capita wheat consumption in 2030 and 2050 from the VEC model, are multiplied by the projected population in 2030 and 2050 to calculate the projected aggregate wheat demand in China and India in 2030 and 2050. After projecting the yearly per capita wheat consumption (KG), we multiply with the projected population to get the expected consumption demand. This study found that the yearly per capita wheat consumption of China will increase from 65.8 kg in 2019 to 76 kg in 2030, and 95 kg in 2050. In India, the yearly per capita wheat consumption will increase to 74 kg in 2030 and 94 kg in 2050 from 60.4 kg in 2019. Considering the projected population growth rates under low-fertility assumptions, aggregate wheat consumption of China will increase by more than 13% in 2030 and by 28% in 2050. Under the high-fertility rate assumption, however the aggregate wheat consumption of China will increase by 18% in 2030 and nearly 50% in 2050. In the case of India, under both low and high-fertility rate assumptions, aggregate wheat demand in India will increase by 32-38% in 2030 and by 70-104% in 2050 compared to 2019 level of consumption. Our results underline the importance of wheat in both countries, which are the world's top wheat producers and consumers, and suggest the importance of research and development investments to maintain sufficient national wheat grain production levels to meet China and India's domestic demand. This is critical both to ensure the food security of this large segment of the world populace, which also includes 23% of the total population of the world who live on less than US $1.90/day, as well as to avoid potential grain market destabilization and price hikes that arise in the event of large import demands.

The Middle‐Eastern marriage pattern? Malthusian dynamics in nineteenth‐century Egypt

AbstractMalthus predicted that fertility rises with income and that people regulate fertility via regulating marriage. However, evidence on the Malthusian equilibrium has been mostly confined to Europe and East Asia. We employ Egypt's population censuses of 1848 and 1868 to provide the first evidence on the preindustrial Malthusian dynamics in the Middle East and North Africa. At the aggregate level, we document rural Egyptian women having a high fertility rate that is close to the Western European level, combined with low age at marriage and low celibacy rate, that are closer to the East Asian levels. This resulted in a uniquely high fertility regime that was probably offset by the high child mortality. Next, we provide individual‐level evidence on the positive correlation between fertility and income (occupation). We find that the higher fertility of rural white‐collar men is attributed to their marriage behaviour, and not to marital fertility. Specifically, white‐collar men's higher polygyny explains 45 per cent of their fertility advantage, whereas their higher marriage rate and lower wife's age at marriage explains 55 per cent. Therefore, polygyny was an additional factor that led to a steeper income–fertility curve than in Western Europe by enabling the rural middle class to out‐breed the poor.

Nigerian Women's Modern Contraceptive Use: Evidence from NDHS 2018.

Nigeria has the largest population in Africa, a high fertility rate, and unmet needs for family planning. Family planning is a key strategy for sustainable development. Good knowledge of factors that determine contraceptive uptake is imperative for policy formulation. A nationally representative secondary dataset of 33,924 women aged 15-49 years who participated in the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey was analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the association between various factors and the current use of modern contraceptives. The respondents' average age was 35.9 +/- 7.9 years. Overall, contraceptive prevalence was 16.6% for traditional methods and 12.2% for modern methods. Factors associated with an increase in modern contraception use were age 40-44 (aOR = 1.07, 95% CI: 0.75-1.53); being a working-class woman (aOR = 1.15, 95% CI: 0.99-1.33); living in an urban area (aOR = 1.14, 95% CI: 0.97-1.33); living in the South-West (aOR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.03-1.79); increasing wealth (aOR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.66-0.93);and health insurance (aOR = 1.22, 95% CI: 0.89-1. 68. Couple dynamics influencing modern contraceptive use were joint decision (aOR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.81-2.59), self-decision on healthcare (aOR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.06-1.70), and earning more than a partner (aOR = 1.14, 95% CI: 0.78-1.66). There are significant variations in contraceptive uptake attributable to socio-economic and political inequalities, requiring a holistic approach to mitigate barriers and improve contraceptive uptake.

The Meanings of “The Child” for Married Couples in Benin

The high fertility rate observed in Benin is perceived to be one of the causes of poverty within the population. In response, the reduction of births has been a political priority for the public authorities for several years and special emphasis has been placed on contraceptive promotion to encourage more couples to plan births. However, fertility rates remain extremely high and there is still a strong desire among married people for large families. According to current data, this high fertility rate can be explained because married people mistrust contraception for several reasons. Although relevant, this explanation is insufficient to fully understand all the factors driving this phenomenon in Benin. To understand the great desire for large families in Benin, we studied the meaning or significance of “the child” amongst married people. Through interviews with married people, we observed that the significance of having children is strongly rooted in the contextual realities of Benin. These results shed light on understanding high fertility rates among Beninese married couples. They also suggest that in Benin, the fertility reduction policy needs to go beyond simple contraceptive promotion by considering the frame of reference of married people regarding children.

Correlation of progesterone level on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin injection in intrauterine insemination cycle and fertility rate

Background: Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is one of the assisted reproductive techniques widely used in infertility treatment. This must be done at a specific time, and progesterone plays an important role in the implantation process, a prerequisite for embryonic attachment and invasion. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between progesterone levels on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) injection in the IUI cycle and fertility. Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, patients referred to the Infertility Center of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences for IUI during 2019-2020 were included. The pattern of the menstrual cycle, history of medical or surgical diseases, history of dyspareunia, number of previous IUIs, causes of infertility, and duration of infertility were entered in the relevant checklists. On the day of the hCG injection, a blood sample was taken, and the level of progesterone and estrogen were measured and evaluated. Results: A total of 85 patients were included in the study. The IUI result was negative in 67 (78.8%) patients. The mean total IUI history of patients was 1.71 ± 0.8 years. The mean duration of infertility was 35.11 ± 18.31 months. The highest fertility rate was observed in the serum level of 1.21-1.6 progesterone. The mean serum level of estradiol was 816.46 ± 651.00 months. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the highest fertility rate was observed in the serum level of 1.21-1.6 progesterone in the IUI cycle.

A Study to Assess the Awareness and Usage of Contraception Among Married Women

Background: India is the second most populous country in the world. Karnataka is the eighth largest state in Indiain terms of Population. High fertility rate and hence high population growth rate are among the leading economicand social problems faced by the developing world. This study is done to assess the awareness and usage ofvarious methods of contraception.Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted in urban field practice area of Sri Siddhartha Medical Collegein Tumkur. 260 study participants were included in the study and systematic random sampling method was usedto select the study subjects. Pre-tested questionnaire was used to interview participants about their reproductiveintentions and contraceptive behaviour.Results: In the present study 193 (74.23%) study participants were aware about one or the other methods ofcontraception. Majority 191(73.46%) of the participants were aware about tubectomy. The prevalence ofcontraceptive usage was 55.4%.Conclusion: The total demand of the community for Contraceptives is 77.3%, which has to be taken in toconsideration by policy makers. Only 74.23% of study participants were aware about one or the other methods ofcontraception, hence there is a scope to increase the awareness.

Sexual Violence in the Zinder Region, about 441 Cases in Reference Motherhoods

Background: Niger is one of the countries that have the highest fertility rate in the world, with 7, 6 children per woman. Zinder is the most populated region of Niger with 5 million inhabitants that is 1/5 of Niger population. The demographic impact that has affected Niger the last 10 years: unemployment poverty and drug use, spawned violence of all kinds in Zinder region (physical and sexual violence). Sexual abuse is a major risk for poor psychiatric and physical outcomes. As sexual violence has serious consequences on the life and future of women and the community and it concerns our field of intervention, we initiated this study whose objective was to determine the socio-epidemiological and lesional aspects, the consequences and appropriate solutions of sexual violence in the Zinder. Methodology: This was a retrospective collection study of all cases of alleged sexual violence received over a 12-year period from 1 January 2009 to 30 June 2021 in Zinder’s referral maternity wards. Results: During the study period, 441 cases of sexual violence were collected; an annual average of 36 cases (441/12). The frequency is 1.29% on the 34,186 consultations. The mean age was 12.31 years with age extremes of 3 to 43 years. Students accounted for 25.39%. Street vendors were found in 224 cases or 50.79%. The predominant reason for admission is rape in 64.63%. The defloration was 52.15%. Pregnancy was found in 118 cases or 26.75%. HIV serology was positive in 1 victim. School dropout was 26.75%. Conclusion: The victims of sexual violence were minors, mostly street vendors and school children. The lack of means of repression at the time allowed the expansion of this violence. The consequences of sexual violence were severe. Advocacy has improved the phenomen on of sexual violence in Zinder.

Комплексна оцінка впливу основного обробітку ґрунту та удобрення на елементи структури, урожайність зерна і зеленої маси кукурудзи

Purpose of the study: To investigate the impact of primary soil tillage practices and fertilization variants on the yield of maize hybrids grown for grain and silage production in a grain-legume crop rotation, aiming to achieve high grain yield and green biomass for silage under the conditions of the central Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. Research methods: field, laboratory, comparative, analysis, summarization, mathematical-statistical. Results. The article presents the research results on the cultivation of maize hybrids for grain and silage production, employing various primary soil tillage techniques and different fertilization methods. The impact of these agronomic practices on grain yield and green biomass intended for silage has been examined. The conducted studies revealed that for the maize hybrid «Monica 350 MV», the optimal approach involved plowing to a depth of 25-27 cm with the application of 40 t/ha of manure + N100P110K100 fertilizers. This method achieved a grain yield of 9.18 t/ha. Conversely, utilizing the disc harrow «AG-2.4» at a depth of 15-17 cm with the same fertilizer variant resulted in a lower yield of 8.64 t/ha. Regarding the cultivation of the S3825 hybrid for green biomass intended for silage, the most effective method was plowing to a depth of 25-27 cm along with N120P130K120 fertilization. Under these conditions, the yield of green biomass during the milk-waxy – early waxy ripeness phase reached 45.9 t/ha. Using the disc harrow «AG-2.4» at a depth of 15-17 cm with the maximum amount of fertilizers in our research led to a yield of 43.4 t/ha. Conclusion. The influence of the tillage method on the elements of the corn yield structure was established. Strong changes in the size of the elements of the corn yield structure, are observed depending on the fertilization options. It was noted that with the growth of fertilizer rates, their effectiveness decreases. Tillage had a less effect than fertilization on the level of yield of green mass of corn per silage. However, cultural plowing to a depth of 25-27 cm had a significant advantage in terms of the yield of green mass of corn per silage, compared to cultivation with a disc unit «AG 2.4» to a depth of 15-17 cm. Thus, it can be assumed that an increase in the depth of soil cultivation contributes to an increase in productivity green mass of corn for silage. Application of high rates of mineral fertilizers led to an increase in the yield of green mass of corn per silage. A trend has been established to increase the efficiency of fertilizer use on variants with soil cultivation by the «AG 2.4» disk unit. The highest efficiency of fertilizers was observed on the variant with the application of N90P100K90. Key words: maize, soil tillage, fertilization, productivity elements, grain yield, green biomass yield.

THE MELIORATIVE CONDITION OF FOREST BROWN SOILS AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE APPLICATION OF ANTI-EROSION COMPLEX MEASURES

Land degradation and desertification are the greatest scourges threatening human society. Global climate change and gaps in the culture of agriculture significantly increase the negative impact of these processes. The article presents the direction of degradation processes in the eroded forest brown soils of the Lori region, the qualitative characteristics of these soils, the thickness, the degree of humus content and the availability of nutrients. To mitigate erosion processes, degradation and desertification of soils, on the basis of the conducted research, it is proposed to introduce new technologies and methods of resource-saving tillage and plant care into the agricultural system. In particular, it is necessary to cultivate the soil along the contours of the slope, apply effective crop rotation schemes and fertilize the soil with high rates of organic fertilizers (25-30 t/ha). On heavily eroded and uncultivated arable lands, it is necessary to cultivate a grass mixture of legumes and cereal grasses, which will significantly reduce erosion processes.

Yield response of African leafy vegetables to combined manure and urea microdosing in West Africa

Description of the subject. Fertilizers microdosing was tested for African leafy vegetables (ALVs) production to reduce the high rates of fertilizers usually applied to their production in West Africa. Objectives. This study aims to (i) evaluate the response of three ALVs (Amaranthus cruentus L., Solanum macrocarpon L. and Ocimum gratissimum L.) to cattle manure combined with urea-N microdosing and application timing and (ii) assess their partial factor productivity. Method. On-station trials were carried out over three growing seasons (2015 to 2017) in Northern Benin. Urea-N rates of 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 60 kg urea-N·ha-1 combined with 5 t·ha-1 of cattle manure (M5N0, M5N10, M5N20, M5N30, M5N40 and M5N60, respectively) and sole application as control (40 (M0N40) and 80 kg urea-N·ha-1 (M0N80)) and two urea-N application timings (T1 = 0 and T2 = 14 days after transplanting) were tested in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Results. The M5N60 treatment resulted in the highest A. cruentus fresh yield and improved leaf yield by 90 and 151% compared to M5N0, and the average of the two no-manure input treatments M0N40 and M0N80, respectively, while M5N40 treatment improved S. macrocarpon fresh yield the best by 23% compared to M5N0. For O. gratissimum, no significant difference was found between urea-N microdose rates. Besides, urea fertilizer application timing affected neither fresh yields nor partial factor productivity for any studied ALVs species. Conclusions. Reduced combination of urea-N and cattle manure is a promising nutrient management practice for ALVs production in West Africa as it improved yields while saving fertilizer for smallholder vegetable farmers.

Couple Asymmetries and Modern Contraceptive Use among Young Married Women in Nigeria

Nigeria is faced with high fertility, maternal and child mortality, and a rapid population growth rate. The uptake of modern methods of contraception is crucial to reduce the high fertility rate, halt population growth, lessen child mortality, and enhance maternal health. This study assessed partners' socio-economic and demographic asymmetries as barriers to modern contraceptive use among young married women in Nigeria. This study used data for 5,772 young married women aged 15-34 years from the Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey 2018. Frequency distributions and binomial logistic regression were carried out using STATA v12. Findings show that 20.4% of young married women use modern contraceptives. Respondents whose partners desire more children were less likely to use modern contraceptives (AOR= 0.712, CI 0.603-0.840). Also, contraceptive use is less likely when the respondent's partner is more educated than the respondent compared to if both have the same level of education (AOR= 0.721, CI 0.607-0.857). Differences in partners' fertility desires and educational status are associated with the use of modern contraceptives among married women aged 15-34 years in Nigeria.

Predictors of modern contraceptive use among reproductive age women in high fertility countries in sub-Saharan Africa: evidence from demographic and health surveys

BackgroundThe world’s population has increased faster than expected due to high fertility rates, with sub-Saharan Africa accounting for most of the increase. Modern contraceptive use is the best option to reduce the high fertility rate. There is limited information on the prevalence of modern contraception and its predictors in sub-Saharan Africa’s high-fertility countries. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and predictors of modern contraception among reproductive-age women in high fertility countries in sub-Saharan Africa.MethodsWe used Demographic and Health Survey data sets from the top 10 high fertility countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Stata version 16.0 software was used to analyze the data, and all statistical analyses were completed after the data had been weighted. Multilevel binary logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with modern contraceptive use. Adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval, and a p value < 0.05 was used to declare statistical significance.ResultsThe prevalence of modern contraceptive use in all the countries considered in this study was 10.72% (95% CI 10.57, 10.87). In terms of the predictor variables, young aged women, those who had attended a primary or secondary level of formal education, women who received antenatal care follow up, women who reported distance to the health facility as not a big problem, and women from rich families were more likely to use modern contraceptives.ConclusionOnly one in 10 women of reproductive age used modern contraceptive methods in high fertility countries in sub-Saharan Africa. To improve the use of modern contraceptives, governments and non-governmental organizations studied in the countries should intensify programs that focus on those women who are economically poor, those with no formal education, no media exposure, and those with no antenatal care follow up.

Prevalence and determinants of intention to use modern contraceptives among grand-multiparous women in sub-Saharan Africa

BackgroundSub-Saharan Africa, characterised by high fertility and low contraceptive use prevalence, remains one of the settings with the poorest maternal and child health indices globally. Studies have established that grand-multiparous women are at increased risk of these adverse maternal health outcomes, and contraceptive use is important to averting these adverse outcomes. Thus, this study examines the prevalence and determinants of intention to use modern contraceptives among grand-multiparous women in 10 sub-Saharan African countries with high fertility rates.Materials and methodsThe study utilized data from the last installments of the Demographic and Health Survey from the 10 leading countries with the highest total fertility rates in sub-Saharan Africa. These countries include: Angola, Benin, Burundi, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, the Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria. Data analysis of 23,500 grand-multiparous women was done at three univariate levels involving a frequency table and bar chart. We employed bivariate logit and multivariate logit regression at the bivariate and multivariate levels to achieve the study objectives. A significant level was determined at p < 0.05.ResultsOur study found that less than 40% of grand-multiparous women in these high fertility countries in sub-Saharan Africa, have the intention to use modern contraceptives (39%), but country variations exist with as low as 32.8% in Angola to as high as 71.2% in the Republic of the Congo. The study found that modern contraceptives use intention among grand-multiparous women in these high fertility countries was predicted by a history of contraceptive use and pregnancy termination, exposure to family planning messages on social media, and knowledge of family planning methods. Others were women’s fertility planning status, ideal family size, number of marriages (remarriage), couple’s fertility desire, current age, and level of education.ConclusionIn the high fertility context of sub-Saharan Africa, characterized by low contraceptive use, improving contraceptive use intention among grand-multiparous women is vital for preventing adverse maternal and child health outcomes, including mortality, resulting from a high-risk pregnancy. Hence, interventions should be more innovative in targeting this group of women to increase the contraceptive prevalence rate in line with Family Planning 2030 goals, and ultimately reduce high fertility rates in the region.

Analysis of Factors Associated with the Use of Long Term Contraceptive Metode

The population problem faced by Indonesia is the high Population Growth Rate (LPP) and Total Fertility Rate (TFR). The use of MKJP is very appropriate to be applied to the condition of Indonesia which is experiencing population growth problems. The low use of MKJP in Indonesia is caused by many factors. In TPMB"S" Bogor, West Java in 2022, it was recorded from the register book that only 30% used MKJP.  This study aims to Analyze Factors Related to the Use of MKJP. This type of research is correlation analytics with Cross Sectional approaches.  The sample was 110 respondents, with random sampling. using questionnaire sheets on KB participants in TPMB "S". The results showed that respondents who had good knowledge (41.9%) using MKJP, had husband support (44.5%), despite receiving good support from health workers, had a sense of anxiety (64.6%). The test results showed that there was a relationship of knowledge to the use of MKJP itself p-value 0.044, there was a relationship between husband support and the use of MKJP p-value 0.024, there was no relationship between health workers' support and the use of MKJP p-value 0.095. and there is a relationship between anxiety and the use of MKJP    p-value 0.014%.  There is a significant association between knowledge, spousal support, and anxiety. And there is no significant relationship between the support of health workers and the use of MKJP in TPMB "S".

Determinants of modern family planning methods in Ethiopia: A community-based, cross-section mixed methods study.

In 2019, Ethiopia had a total fertility rate of 4.2 births per woman with the rates varying significantly across regions. The Federal Ministry of Health of Ethiopia announced "Ethiopia FP 2020" to address the high fertility rate, aiming to reduce it to 3.0 by 2020. This study aimed to identify the determinants of the use of modern family planning services in the Amhara, Oromia, and Somali regions. A community-based, cross-sectional mixed methods study was conducted, using quantitative and qualitative surveys. The quantitative survey data were subjected to binary logistic regression analyses. Participants included over 4117 married men and women aged 15-65 years old. This study found that participants in Oromia were 8.673 times more likely to have modern family planning methods than those in Somali. Participants in Amhara were 5.183 times more likely to have modern family planning methods than their Somali counterparts. Women, married respondents, and recipients of media messages were more likely to have family planning experience. Family planning discussions with health extension workers and health professionals played a significant role in modern family planning. These findings show that establishing a family planning strategy that considers the sociocultural characteristics of each region help address regional contexts. Everyone in Somali-especially husbands and religious leaders-must be educated in family planning and funds be made available to deploy advanced measures for the same.

출산 및 산후 합병증 행태의 특성과 변화 분석 : 퇴원손상심층조사자료를 이용하여

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence of delivery and puerperium complications in South Korea and analyze the correlations between the patient’s characteristics and delivery and complications before and after 10 years. Methods: This study used the data from an Korean National Hospital Discharge In-depth Injury Survey. Cases of which the principal diagnosis and second diagnoses were disease classification ICD code O00-O99(Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium) were defined as the study subjects, and the first study group was divided as the year of discharge from 2005 to 2007, and the second study group from 2015 to 2017. Results: The number of patients discharged whose principal diagnosis or second diagnoses was O00-O99 was 21,598(Weighted 423,306) from 2005 to 2007 and 19,028(Weighted 364,384) from 2015 to 2017, which decreased by 13.9% compared to 10 years ago. The average age of discharged patients increased by about 2 years and was statistically significant (p<.0001). Factors associating spontaneous delivery, caesarean section and puerperium complication were hospitalization route, bed size, maternal age, length of hospital stay, and the year of discharge. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, health and education policies and economic support for medical care for high-risk pregnancy and delivery management would be necessary continuously. In addition, policies to strengthen the medical system for high-risk pregnancy management in non-metropolitan areas with high fertility rates would also be needed.

Assessing the relationship between knowledge and the actual use of contraceptives among childbearing women in South-South Nigeria: evidence from the 2018 Nigeria demographic and health survey

BackgroundNigeria has one of the world's highest fertility rates, which is detrimental to its public health and socioeconomic growth. Despite several efforts by the country and other development partners to reduce high fertility by increasing contraceptive use, the contraceptive prevalence rate among childbearing women remains low, particularly in the South-South compared to other Southern regions. This study, therefore, assessed the relationship between knowledge of and actual use of contraception among women in South-South Nigeria.MethodsThe study employed a cross-sectional analysis of a nationally representative weighted sub-sample of 4,553 South-South childbearing women extracted from the 2018 National Demographic and Health Survey dataset. The dataset was weighted and examined for missing values that were excluded during the analyses at univariate, bivariate, and multivariate levels. The analyses involved a baseline descriptive analysis, a chi-square test, and logistic regression models using Stata software. The results of the explanatory variables were presented as odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).ResultsEighty-two per cent of the respondents knew at least one form of contraception, while approximately 82% never used any contraceptive method. The likelihood of using any contraceptive method increased among those who knew about contraceptives (aOR: 1.40; CI: 0.93–2.11). Also, contraceptive use was significantly higher among women and their partners who had post-primary education (aOR: 1.34; CI: 1.25–2.43 and aOR: 1.74; CI: 1.25–2.43, respectively). Furthermore, the prevalence of contraceptive use among women significantly increased with an increase in the household wealth index. Similar results were recorded among women who had five or more living children, who were residents of Rivers State, were married or lived with their partners, were aged 35 years or older, and were currently working.ConclusionsContraceptive knowledge was high but did not translate into actual practice among childbearing women in South-South Nigeria. The use of any contraception was highly influenced by contraceptive knowledge, education, age, marital status, place of residence, and household wealth index, among others. Therefore, some policy issues relating to contraceptive knowledge and actual adoption must be addressed to improve the low rate of contraceptive use in Nigeria.

The Varying Fertilities of the Amish Groups of Holmes County, Ohio

The Amish are known for their high fertility, and one of the groups, the Swartzentruber Amish, is known for its exceptionally large families. Opinions vary about the number, but there are many distinct Amish affiliations in the Holmes County, Ohio, area, ranging from the progressive New Order Amish to the ultraconservative Swartzentruber Amish. In this study, fertility was calculated for the five groups large enough for such analysis. The fertilities (i.e., number of live births for women 45 years and over) were notably congruent with the degree of conservatism (from progressive to conservative): New Order, 5.76; Old Order, 6.09; Dan or Andy Weaver, 7.79; Hostetler, 8.68; Swartzentruber, 10.42. The families of the Old Order group (the only group large enough) were subdivided into farming and nonfarming subgroups and families of ministers and families of laymen for fertility comparisons. The farming families subgroup had a higher fertility rate (6.88) than the nonfarming subgroup (5.90), presumably because their labor-intensive work of farming begs for large families. The ministers’ family subgroup also had a higher fertility (6.54) than the laymen’s family subgroup (5.89), the difference being attributed to ministers having a deeper religious commitment than laymen. The interval between marriage and first birth was nearly the same for all five groups. For the Swartzentruber Amish, the interbirth intervals remained short throughout the reproductive span, but for the other four groups, they became progressively longer. The reproductive span of women in the New Order Amish group was 13.75 years. It was progressively longer for the more conservative groups and was longest (17.74 years) for Swartzentruber Amish. These results are consistent with other studies that showed that people with more intense religious practice have larger families than people whose religious practice is less intense.

Application of ultrasound technique to evaluate the testicular function and its correlation to the sperm quality after different collection frequency in rams.

The frequency of semen collection is a crucial factor to consider in the rams performance inside breeding centers workout. To evaluate this factor, ram Breeding Soundness Evaluation could include sperm quality evaluation and new predictive and non-invasive tools such as ultrasound technique. In this work, an advanced ultrasonography technology, analyzing the testicular volume, echotexture, and vascular function, was used in three different frequencies of semen collection (abstinence frequency, AF; standard frequency, SF; and intensive frequency, IF). Semen samples were cooled (15°C, 6 h) and evaluated in terms of production, motility, viability, apoptosis, and content of reactive oxygen species. Correlation coefficients were calculated between ultrasonography measurements of echotexture and blood flow and sperm quality parameters. Our results showed an increase in the testicular echotexture when the frequency of semen collection was intensified. Doppler parameters (PSV, RI, PI, TABF) increased (P ≤ 0.05) when the frequency of semen collection was intensified. The sperm motility and functionality decreased in the samples of IF (P ≤ 0.05), evidencing the frequency of semen collection's influence. Moreover, moderate positive correlations were established among echotexture and different Doppler parameters with motility parameters in SF. Furthermore, the influence of abstinence days on AI success was analyzed in a field assay. The highest fertility rates were obtained when males had two to five abstinence days. To conclude, frequency of semen collection could be influenced in terms of semen quantity and sperm quality, showing changes in parenchyma echotexture and testicular vascularization. The standard semen collection frequency was the most adequate option. In addition, ultrasonography may be a predictive tool for estimating variations in the sperm quality of donor rams subjected to different frequencies of semen collection in reproduction centers.