BASIC CHARACTERISTICS AND THEIR IMPACTS ON FAMILY SIZE PREFERENCES IN RAJSHAHI DISTRICT, BANGLADESH

1. Md. Ismail Tareque, Lecturer 2. Md. Mostafizur Rahman, Assistant Professor 3. Towfiqua Mahfuza Islam 4. M. Phil Fellow Dept. of Population Science and Human Resource Development University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh Correspondence to: Md. Ismail Tareque Lecturer, Dept. of Population Science and Human Resource Development University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh Email: tareque_pshd@yahoo.com

Key words: Socio-economic characteristics, demographic characteristics, sanitation & household characteristics and family size preference.

INTRODUCTION

Bangladesh is still largely impoverished and agricultural; infant mortality is still high, and education levels among women of reproductive age remain low. The total fertility rate (TFR) has declined from over 6.3 children per woman of reproductive age in the early 1970's to 3.0 children per woman in 2004 (Mitra and Associates, 2005), which is a decline of about 50% over a 30-year period. The issue of whether desired family size or actual fertility falls first is yet to be resolved. In Costa Rica, fertility preferences appeared to change very little either before or during the decade when fertility itself was falling dramatically (Stycos, 1984). In the Republic of Korea (Cho et al., 1982), Thailand (Knodel et al., 1982) and Taiwan Province of China (Sun et al., 1978), desired family sizes fell only after the fertility transition was under way. Yet more work is needed to continue to decrease fertility rates.

Fertility decision-making is the central focus of many theories of fertility. Micro-economic theories of fertility, like those of (Becker, 1960) and (Easterlin, 1978), assume that reproductive behaviour is a response to underlying preferences for children and the constraints on having them imposed by external factors. It is therefore assumed that fertility decisions are made (Bulatao, 1984). Family size desires or preferences are one of the three major perceptual or attitudinal elements that constitute the immediate decision content of fertility. The other elements include values and disvalues of children, and the perceptions of and reactions to regulation methods.

Preferences for family size or for sex of a child reflect the values attributed to children within a given cultural setting as well as individual considerations: such preferences indicate the demand for children (UN, 1987). In traditional societies, family size preferences are found to be greater than actual fertility, but in developing countries the family size preferences are lower than actual fertility; in developed countries the two are similar (Ware, 1974). Although demographers have been successful in identifying direct determinants of actual fertility (Bongaarts, 1978), they have not yet been able to identify direct determinants of family size preferences. Moreover, socio-economic differentials of actual fertility have long been known, but socio-economic differentials of family size preferences were almost unknown until recently.

Family size preferences can take many forms. Within the context of a particular number of total children desired, parents may desire at least one child of each sex, a minimum number of children of a particular sex, or approximately equal numbers of sons and daughters. Thus, couples may continue childbearing beyond their desired family size in order to achieve a favorable number or distributions of sons and daughters. Therefore, some questions may be raised that are: What are the socio-economic and demographic correlates of such desires? Does actual family size influence the desired family size reported by women? Does the sex composition of a woman's living children influence her desire for another child? and so on. This study attempts to address each of these questions and to identify the demographic and socio-economic factors that are more influential to family size preferences.

DATA SOURCE AND METHODOLOGY

The data of this study were collected under the project of UNFPA entitled "Strengthening the Department of Population Science and Human Resource Development" from 4500 ever married women aged 12 to 49 years of which 2250 women in rural areas and the remaining in urban areas of Rajshahi district during the period 20th June, 2004 to 1st July, 2004.

In any situation where a multivariate problem is encountered, the method of analysis should proceed from simple to complex in an orderly manner (Srinivasan, 1979). As to the above statement we start with simple cross-tabular analysis, which is based on the imposition of simplifying pattern or structure relating socio-economic, demographic & sanitation and household conditions. Finally, the effects of socio-economic and demographic factors on family size preferences are examined by multiple regression analysis.

Variables included in the analysis

Table 1 presents a detailed description of the variables. It has been assumed that the selected independent variables affect family size preferences.

Basic Characteristics

Socio-economic characteristics: The socio-economic conditions of the people create differentials in the level of fertility. Table 2 presents the percentage distribution of selected socio-economic variables of the study population.

From table 2 we observed that there is a considerable difference between rural and urban areas for all selected variables. The majority of the respondents fall in no formal education group in rural areas than in urban areas and access to higher education is really shaky. It may be due to cultural norms and religious values that discourage female education. This trend is reversed in secondary and higher education groups in urban areas as compared to the rural areas. That means respondents in rural areas are less educated than urban areas. Husband's education is also an important variable. Generally it is likely that higher educated people belong to higher economic class. This study shows that husbands are seem to be better educated than their wives in all areas. And also urban husbands are more educated than their rural counterparts.

The occupation of the respondent (wife) and husband may be a reasonable indicator of broad socio-economic status. In our study the main occupation of the respondent is housekeeping. The main occupation of the husband in rural areas is agriculture (66.5%) whereas in urban areas service is the main occupation (46.1%).

The occupation and higher education may be the reasons for the higher monthly family income. We observed that the highest respondents falls in 1600-3000 Tk. monthly income group in all areas and also the second highest in urban areas fall in 6000+ Tk.. We also observed that urban area's monthly average family income is nearly double of that of rural. Since in urban areas the living and other costs are higher the urban people have to earn more than rural people. The study also reveals that the overwhelming majority of the respondents were Muslim.

Having a bank account, any property and daily expenditure of the family to the respondents are also the important factors indicating the status of women. These indicate the economic freedom of the wife in the family and society. We observed that the respondents in urban areas are more conscious about their bank account and property and enjoy more freedom than the rural respondents.

Demographic Characteristics

The family size preference and fertility are not only affected by socio-economic factors but also by the demographic, sanitation and household factors. The frequency and percentage distribution of selected demographic characteristics are presented in table 3 and discussed below:

In table 3, the highest participants fall in the under 25 age group in total and rural but the highest percent in the urban group falls in the 35+ year age group. The large percentage 97.5 in total, 97.6 in rural and 97.3 in urban were married. Mean age at marriage differed by one year in rural areas as compared to the urban areas. It may be the result of educational, social and religious values. The urban respondents are older and had higher number of live births than the rural women. The reasons may be that the respondents who had no children in rural areas were 227 and in urban areas the number is 143.

The distribution by sex of the child indicated that the respondents had a higher number of male children than female children in all areas. It may indicate that both rural and urban areas had strong son preference. The distribution relating to birth order indicates that the numbers in first and second order are very high than other orders in all areas. It is also observed that respondents had a large number of children in the third, fourth and fifth order in urban areas than in the rural areas. These had an effect on the higher number of live births in urban than rural areas. Table 3 also shows that the reasons of having more than two children are mostly the familial and religious causes.

Note: Parenthesis indicate the percentage

Sanitation & household characteristics

Table 4 shows the percentage distribution of the sanitation and household characteristics. These characteristics are also socio-economic and an important indicator of health conditions of the respondent and children.

Source of drinking water is an influential indicator in the variation of infant and child mortality, and various diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery etc. are spread by water. Our study shows that people used mainly tube wells as their source of drinking water and no one in rural areas used tap facilities. Better sanitary facilities reduce mortality. The better sanitation is a primary health care practice, which can easily be achieved without much financial involvement. Children who use well latrines are assumed to have lower mortality levels than children who do not use them. Table 4 shows that urban areas are more sanitized than rural areas.

Table 4 also shows the distribution of respondents by condition of houses, which may indicate that the respondents of urban areas are richer than the rural respondents with better dwelling opportunities. Electricity is an index of modernization. A household having electricity is, in general, indicator of higher socio-economic status. In total Rajshahi district 26 percent were deprived of electricity. Only 8 percent of respondents had no electricity in urban areas but in rural areas 43 percent had no electricity in their household. So, urban areas are more modernized. TV and Radio are at present the powerful media. These play a very strong role for mass media broadcasting some programs concerning public health awareness. If even an illiterate person watches these health-based programs, it is consideredthat he will realize the importance of the role of health and cleanliness. The data provides that electronic media such as TV and Radio were accessible to 51.5 and 31.8 percent people in total Rajshahi district. In our societies the husband is the main income earner and decision maker of a family. Only a few families were headed by females in both areas.

Empirical results and discussion of multiple regression analysis

Table 5 provides some insights into major factors affecting desired family size in all areas. In order to refine our knowledge about the above relationships, multiple regression analysis is applied to investigate which variables affect desired family size as well as the significance of the effects produced in all areas.

Among all the independent variables in total areas five had a significant effect while four in urban and two in rural areas had significant effects on desired family size. Number of living children is statistically positively significant in all areas. So, we may say that as the number of living children increases, the desired family size increases in all areas.

Number of living sons had no significant effect in total and urban areas but it was positively significant in rural areas. That means, rural women desired a higher family size with an increasing number of living sons.
Age is positively significant with desired family size in urban and total Rajshahi but not in rural areas. So, desired family size increases with the increase in age of the respondents in urban and total areas. Marital duration is also an important factor to influence desired family size. It is statistically negatively significant in urban areas. So, in urban areas, desired family size decreases with increase in marital duration.

Educational level of respondent affect the desired family size in all areas with a negative impact, that is, higher educated desires for lower family size in all cases. But education level of the husband affected positively significant in only total Rajshahi.

Occupation of the husband bears a significant positive effect in total Rajshahi district. Further, acceptance of family planning shows negative effect in all areas. That may be an indication of family size reduction through taking family planning by consultation.

Religion also shows a positive significant effect on desired family size in total and urban areas while it had no significant effect in rural areas. Income was also the independent variable, which did not affect desired family size significantly in all areas. Thus, it is quite clear that religious beliefs play a role in desiring a family size, but family income plays no role in this regard.

Notes: USC = Unstandardized Coefficients, STE = Standard Error, STC = Standardized Coefficients, FP = Family Planning, R2 = Coefficient of Determination, B = Multiple Regression Coefficient. Level of significance: *** p<0.01; **p<0.05; *p<0.10.

CONCLUSION AND SOME RECOMMENDATIONS

This study has revealed that substantial variability in responses concerning socioeconomic, demographic & sanitation and household variables exists among women of Rajshahi district. The main findings can be concluded as follows:

(i) By cross-tabular analysis we observe that most of the respondents are housewives and are less educated than their husbands. Rural women are less educated than their urban counterparts. And also rural women are less conscious about their freedom in the family than urban counterparts.

(ii) Most respondents are married and the average age of the respondents is 30.08 years in total Rajshahi district. The mean age at marriage of the respondents is 16.35 years and mean number of live births is 2.20 in total Rajshahi while 8.20 percent of respondents have no children and 25.8 percent is one parity and 32.1 percent is second parity women. And the respondents said that they have more than two children, mainly due to familial causes.

(iii) Most of the respondents drink tube well water. The urban areas are more sanitized than rural areas. The study also shows that only 8 percent respondents of urban areas are deprived of electricity while in rural areas this percentage is 43.

(iv) The multiple regression analysis shows that the number of living children is the most important determinant in total Rajshahi district as well as in its urban and in rural areas. The number of living sons is also an important determinant in rural areas but not in urban and total Rajshahi district.

To minimize the potential short run fertility stimulating effects of socio-economic development, policy makers must create and promote conditions that encourage couples to desire small family size. Yet, changing family size norms is not likely to occur without more specific attention to the factors affecting these norms. Thus, emphasis should be placed on relevant policies that aim at altering the traditional social structure through promoting female education, raising age at marriage, creating increasing employment opportunities for women which compete with increasing childbearing, spreading family planning knowledge and improving contraceptive accessibility.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors would like to thank UNFPA for providing financial support to carry out the research project from which this paper has been prepared.

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