Rural Yemen Research Articles

Contraception, marital fertility, and breast-feeding in the Yemen Arab Republic.

SummaryMajor findings from an analysis of demographic information collected in a 1979 survey in the Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen) are that: levels of contraceptive use are extremely low in the rural areas that constitute most of the nation and considerably higher in the capital, Sana'a; fertility is very high and, until recently, was higher in Sana'a than in rural areas; mortality of children is very high with small urban–rural differentials; breast-feeding durations tend to be short, considering Yemen's extremely low level of development; and, female infants appear to be breast-fed longer than male infants in Sana'a, a phenomenon never previously documented. It is argued that the observed convergence between fertility levels in Sana'a and rural Yemen results from increased contraception in Sana'a, which offsets fertility differences introduced by longer breast-feeding in rural areas.

Population Processes in Rural Yemen: Temporary Emigration, Breastfeeding, and Contraception

North Yemen's 5.5 million people have a life expectancy of 42 years, and a crude birth rate of 46/1000 with a natural increase of 2.4%/year. A study was conducted from 1977-78 in 3 different ecological and cultural zones to determine the effects of 3 fertility variables: 1) temporary emigration; 2) breastfeeding; and 3) contraception usage. Spousal separation due to Yemeni males working outside the country may not be as important a factor to family size as the attitudinal changes toward family size and contraception the men bring back. Bottlefeeding is an accepted way of feeding infants even in remote villages. Powdered milk is readily available and Yemeni women can afford to purchase the milk, which may cause shorter birth intervals. Contraception usage is increasing due to decreased infant mortality levels, reevaluation of family size, and increased availability of contraceptives. The increase in contraceptives may offset the effects of breastfeeding.